TRAILS  OF  THE 
PATHFINDERS 


GEORGE  BIRD  GRINNELL 


IN    THE    SAME     SERIES 

PUBLISHED   BY  CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 


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TRAILS  OF  THE  PATHFINDERS 


CAPTAINS  LEWIS  AND  CLARK  WERE  MUCH  PUZZLED  AT  THIS 
POINT  TO  KNOW  WHICH  OF  THE  RIVERS  BEFORE  THEM 
WAS  THE  MAIN  MISSOURI. 


TRAILS  OF 
THE    PATHFINDERS 


BY 

GEORGE  BIRD  GRINNELL 

AUTHOR  OF  "BLACKFOOT  LODGE  TALES,"  "PAWNEE  HERO 

STORIES    AND    FOLK  TALES,"    "  THE   STORY   OF   THE 

INDIAN,"  "INDIANS  OF  TODAY,"  BTC. 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW  YORK 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 
1911 


COPYRIGHT,  1911,  BY 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 


Published  April,  1911 


u.  c. 

CADCMY    OF 
XCfFlC  COAST 
HISTORY 


PREFACE 

THE  chapters  in  this  book  appeared  first  as  part  of  a  series 
of  articles  under  the  same  title  contributed  to  Forest  and  Stream 
several  years  ago.  At  the  time  they  aroused  much  interest  and 
there  was  a  demand  that  they  should  be  put  into  book  form. 

The  books  from  which  these  accounts  have  been  drawn  are 
good  reading  for  all  Americans.  They  are  at  once  history  and 
adventure.  They  deal  with  a  time  when  half  the  continent 
was  unknown;  when  the  West — distant  and  full  of  romance — 
held  for  the  young,  the  brave  and  the  hardy,  possibilities  that 
were  limitless. 

The  legend  of  the  kingdom  of  El  Dorado  did  not  pass  with 
the  passing  of  the  Spaniards.  All  through  the  eighteenth  and 
a  part  of  the  nineteenth  century  it  was  recalled  in  another  sense 
by  the  fur  trader,  and  with  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California 
it  was  heard  again  by  a  great  multitude — and  almost  with  its 
old  meaning. 

Besides  these  old  books  on  the  West,  there  are  many  others 
which  every  American  should  read.  They  treat  of  that  same 
romantic  period,  and  describe  the  adventures  of  explorers, 
Indian  fighters,  fur  hunters  and  fur  traders.  They  are  a  part 
of  the  history  of  the  continent. 

NEW  YORK,  April,  1911. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    INTRODUCTION 3 

II.  ALEXANDER  HENRY — I    1.  U    V'  v  1    •    ^  *3 

III.  ALEXANDER  HENRY — II    .    .    *- '*?  i    .- J .  36 

IV.  JONATHAN  CARVER i    ** ''•.  57 

V.    ALEXANDER  MACKENZIE — I 84 

VI.  ALEXANDER  MACKENZIE — II      .^'-i    .    .  102 

VII.    ALEXANDER  MACKENZIE — III 121 

VIII.    LEWIS  AND  CLARK— I 138 

IX.    LEWIS  AND  CLARK— II 154 

X.    LEWIS  AND  CLARK— III 169 

XI.    LEWIS  AND  CLARK — IV 179 

XII.    LEWIS  AND  CLARK — V 190 

XIII.  ZEBULON  M.  PIKE — I 207 

XIV.  ZEBULON  M.  PIKE— II 226 

XV.    ZEBULON  M.  PIKE— III 238 

XVI.  ALEXANDER  HENRY  (THE  YOUNGER) — I    .  253 

XVII.  ALEXANDER  HENRY  (THE  YOUNGER) — II  .  271 

XVIII.  ALEXANDER  HENRY  (THE  YOUNGER) — III.  287 

vii 


viii  Contents 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XIX.  Ross  Cox— I 301 

XX.  Ross  Cox— II     .    .    .  ".;.'•    .....  319 

XXI.  THE  COMMERCE  OF  THE  PRAIRIES — I     .     .  330 

XXII.  THE  COMMERCE  OF  THE  PRAIRIES — II  .     .  341 

XXIII.  SAMUEL  PARKER ,^u .    .    .  359 

XXIV.  THOMAS  J.  FARNHAM — I  .     .     .  >.;  •..;    .Ji,  372 
XXV.  THOMAS  J.  FARNHAM— II 382 

XXVI.  FREMONT— I i    ../•  393 

XXVII.  FREMONT— II &   .;/.  405 

XXVIII.  FREMONT— III 415 

XXIX.  FREMONT— IV 428 

XXX.  FREMONT— V 435 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

CAPTAINS  LEWIS  AND  CLARK  WERE  MUCH  PUZZLED 
AT  THIS  POINT  TO  KNOW  WHICH  OF  THE  RIVERS 
BEFORE  THEM  WAS  THE  MAIN  MISSOURI  Frontispiece 

FACING  PAGE 

"I  Now  RESIGNED  MYSELF  TO  THE  FATE  WITH  WHICH 

I  WAS  MENACED" 28 

A  MAN  OF  THE  NAUDOWESSIE 62 

From  Travels  Through  the  Interior  Parts  of  North  America,  by 
Jonathan  Carver 

A  MAN  OF  THE  OTTIGAUMIES 62 

From  Travels  Through  the  Interior  Parts  of  North  America,  by 
Jonathan  Carver 

ALEXANDER  MACKENZIE 84 

From  Mackenzie's  Voyages  from  Montreal  Through  the  Conti- 
nent of  North  America,  etc. 

MACKENZIE  AND  THE  MEN  JUMPED  OVERBOARD      .    .     118 

LIEUTENANT  ZEBULON  MONTGOMERY  PIKE,  MONUMENT 

AT  COLORADO  SPRINGS,  COLORADO 208 

BUFFALO  ON  THE  SOUTHERN  PLAINS 236 

From  Kendall's  Narrative  of  the  Texas  Santa  Fe  Expedition 

Two  MEN  MOUNTED  ON  HER  BACK,  BUT  SHE  WAS  AS 

ACTIVE  WITH  THIS  LOAD  AS  BEFORE      ....    270 

FUR  TRADERS  OF  THE  NORTH .    280 

ASTORIA  IN  1813 302 

From  Franchere's  Narrative  of  a  Voyage  to  the  Northwest  Coast 
of  America 

ix 


Illustrations 


FACING  PAGE 

CARAVAN  ON  THE  MARCH 334 

From  Gregg's  Commerce  of  the  Prairies 

WAGONS  PARKED  FOR  THE  NIGHT 340 

From  Gregg's  Commerce  of  the  Prairies 

TRAPPERS  ATTACKED  BY  INDIANS 360 

From  an  old  print  by  A.  Tait 
TRAIN  STAMPEDED  BY  WILD  HORSES 372 

From  Bartlett's  Texas,  New  Mexico,  California,  etc. 

MAJOR-GENERAL  JOHN  C.  FREMONT 394 

AN  Oro  COUNCIL 414 

From  James's  An  Expedition  from  Pittsburgh  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains  by  Major  Stephen  H.  Long. 


MAP 

PAGE 

ROUTES  OF  SOME  OF  THE  PATHFINDERS  .  2 


TRAILS  OF  THE  PATHFINDERS 


TRAILS   OF  THE   PATHFINDERS 

CHAPTER  I 
INTRODUCTION 

THREE  centuries  ago  half  a  dozen  tiny  hamlets, 
peopled  by  white  men,  were  scattered  along  the 
western   shores   of  the   North  Atlantic  Ocean. 
These  little  settlements  owed   allegiance   to   different 
nations  of  Europe,  each  of  which  had  thrust  out  a  hand 
to  grasp  some  share  of  the  wealth  which  might  lie  in  the 
unknown  wilderness  which  stretched  away  from  the  sea- 
shore toward  the  west. 

The  "Indies"  had  been  discovered  more  than  a  hun- 
dred years  before,  but  though  ships  had  sailed  north 
and  ships  had  sailed  south,  little  was  known  of  the  land, 
through  which  men  were  seeking  a  passage  to  share  the 
trade  which  the  Portuguese,  long  before,  had  opened 
up  with  the  mysterious  East.  That  passage  had  not 
been  found.  To  the  north  lay  ice  and  snow,  to  the 
south — vaguely  known — lay  the  South  Sea.  What  that 
South  Sea  was,  what  its  limits,  what  its  relations  to 
lands  already  visited,  were  still  secrets. 

St.  Augustine  had  been  founded  in  1565;  and  forty 
years  later  the  French  made  their  first  settlement  at 

3 


Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 


Port  Royal  in  what  is  now  Nova  Scotia.  In  1607 
Jamestown  was  settled;  and  a  year  later  the  French 
established  Quebec.  The  Pilgrims  landed  in  Massa- 
chusetts in  1620  and  the  first  settlement  of  the  Dutch 
on  the  island  of  Manhattan  was  in  1623.  All  these 
settlers  establishing  themselves  in  a  new  country  found 
enough  to  do  in  the  struggle  to  procure  subsistence,  to 
protect  themselves  from  the  elements  and  from  the  at- 
tacks of  enemies,  without  attempting  to  discover  what 
lay  inland — beyond  the  sound  of  the  salt  waves  which 
beat  upon  the  coast.  Not  until  later  was  any  effort 
made  to  learn  what  lay  in  the  vast  interior. 

Time  went  on.  The  settlements  increased.  Grad- 
ually men  pushed  farther  and  farther  inland.  There 
were  wars;  and  one  nation  after  another  was  crowded 
from  its  possessions,  until,  at  length,  the  British  owned 
all  the  settlements  in  eastern  temperate  America.  The 
white  men  still  clung  chiefly  to  the  sea-coast,  and  it  was 
in  western  Pennsylvania  that  the  French  and  Indians 
defeated  Braddock  in  1755,  George  Washington  being 
an  officer  under  his  command. 

A  little  later  came  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  and  a 
new  people  sprang  into  being  in  a  land  a  little  more 
than  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  known.  This  people, 
teeming  with  energy,  kept  reaching  out  in  all  directions 
for  new  things.  As  they  increased  in  numbers  they 
spread  chiefly  in  the  direction  of  least  resistance.  The 
native  tribes  were  easier  to  displace  than  the  French, 
who  held  forts  to  the  north,  and  the  Spanish,  who  pos- 
sessed territory  to  the  south;  and  the  temperate  climate 


Introduction 


toward  the  west  attracted  them  more  than  the  cold  of 
the  north  or  the  heat  of  the  south.  So  the  Americans 
pushed  on  always  to  the  setting  sun,  and  their  early 
movements  gave  truth  to  Bishop  Berkeley's  famous 
line,  written  long  before  and  in  an  altogether  different 
connection,  "Westward  the  course  of  empire  takes  its 
way/'  The  Mississippi  was  reached,  and  little  vil- 
lages, occupied  by  Frenchmen  and  their  half-breed  chil- 
dren, began  to  change,  to  be  transformed  into  American 
towns.  Yet  in  1790,  ninety-five  per  cent,  of  the  popu- 
lation of  the  United  States  was  on  the  Atlantic  sea- 
board. 

Now  came  the  Louisiana  Purchase,  and  immedi- 
ately after  that  the  expedition  across  the  continent  by 
Meriwether  Lewis  and  William  Clark.  The  trip  took 
two  years'  time,  and  the  reports  brought  back  by  the 
intrepid  explorers,  telling  the  wonderful  story  of  what 
lay  in  the  unknown  beyond,  greatly  stimulated  the  im- 
agination of  the  western  people.  Long  before  this  it 
had  become  known  that  the  western  ocean — the  South 
Sea  of  an  earlier  day — extended  north  along  the  con- 
tinent, and  that  there  was  no  connection  here  with  In- 
dia. It  was  known,  too,  that  the  Spaniards  occupied 
the  west  coast.  In  1790,  Umfreville  said :  "That  there 
are  European  traders  settled  among  the  Indians  from 
the  other  side  of  the  continent  is  without  doubt.  I, 
myself,  have  seen  horses  with  Roman  capitals  burnt 
in  their  flanks  with  a  hot  iron.  I  likewise  once  saw 
a  hanger  with  Spanish  words  engraved  on  the  blade. 
Many  other  proofs  have  been  obtained  to  convince  us 


Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 


that  the  Spaniards  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  con- 
tinent make  their  inland  peregrinations  as  well  as 
ourselves." 

Western  travel  and  exploration,  within  the  United 
States,  began  soon  after  the  return  of  Lewis  and  Clark. 
The  trapper,  seeking  for  peltry — the  rich  furs  so  much 
in  demand  in  Europe — was  the  first  to  penetrate  the 
unknown  wilds;  but  close  upon  his  heels  followed  the 
Indian  trader,  who  used  trapper  and  Indian  alike  to 
fill  his  purse.  With  the  trapper  and  the  trader,  natu- 
ralists began  to  push  out  into  the  west,  studying  the 
fauna  and  flora  of  the  new  lands.  About  the  same 
time  the  possibilities  of  trade  with  the  Mexicans  in- 
duced the  beginnings  of  the  Santa  Fe  trade,  that  Com- 
merce of  the  Prairies  which  has  been  so  fully  written  of 
by  the  intrepid  spirits  who  took  part  in  it.  Meantime 
the  government  continued  to  send  out  expeditions, 
poorly  provided  in  many  ways,  scarcely  armed,  barely 
furnished  with  provisions,  without  means  of  making 
their  way  through  the  unknown  and  dangerous  regions 
to  which  they  were  sent,  but  led  by  heroes. 

For  forty  years  this  work  of  investigation  went  on; 
for  forty  years  there  took  place  a  peopling  of  the  new 
West  by  men  who  were  in  very  deed  the  bravest  and 
most  adventurous  of  our  brave  and  hardy  border  pop- 
ulation. They  scattered  over  the  plains  and  through 
the  mountains;  they  trapped  the  beaver  and  fought 
the  Indian  and  guided  the  explorers;  and  took  to 
themselves  wives  from  among  their  very  enemies,  and 
raised  up  broods  of  hardy  offspring,  some  of  whom  we 


Introduction  7 


may  yet  meet  as  we  journey  through  the  cattle  and  the 
farming  country  which  used  to  be  the  far  West. 

If  ever  any  set  of  men  played  their  part  in  subduing 
the  wilderness,  and  in  ploughing  the  ground  to  receive 
its  seed  of  settlement,  and  to  rear  the  crop  of  civiliza- 
tion which  is  now  being  harvested,  these  men  did  that 
work,  and  did  it  well.  It  is  inconceivable  that  they 
should  have  had  the  foresight  to  know  what  they  were 
doing;  to  imagine  what  it  was  that  should  come  after 
them.  They  did  not  think  of  that.  Like  the  bold, 
brave,  hardy  men  of  all  times  and  of  all  countries,  they 
did  the  work  that  lay  before  them,  bravely,  faithfully, 
and  well,  without  any  special  thought  of  a  distant  fut- 
ure; surely  without  any  regrets  for  the  past.  As  the 
years  rolled  by,  sickness,  battle,  the  wild  beast,  starva- 
tion, murder,  death  in  some  form,  whether  sudden  or 
lingering,  struck  them  down  singly  or  by  scores;  and 
that  a  man  had  been  "rubbed  out,"  was  cause  for  a 
sigh  of  regret  or  a  word  of  sorrow  from  his  companions, 
who  forthwith  saddled  up  and  started  on  some  jour- 
ney of  peril,  where  their  fate  might  be  what  his  had 
been. 

At  the  end  of  forty  years  the  first  series  of  these  ex- 
ploratory journeys  came  to  an  end.  Gold  was  dis- 
covered in  California.  The  Mexican  War  took  place. 
This  was  not  unexpected,  for  in  the  Southwest,  about 
the  pueblos  of  Taos  and  Santa  Fe,  skirmishings  and 
quarrels  between  the  Spanish-Indian  inhabitants  and 
the  rough  mountaineers  and  teamsters  from  the  States 
had  already  given  warning  of  a  conflict  soon  to  come. 


8  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

Now,  well  travelled  wagon  roads  crossed  the  con- 
tinent, and  a  stream  of  westward  immigration  that 
seemed  to  have  no  end.  Before  long  there  came  Indian 
wars.  The  immigrants  imposed  upon  the  savages,  ill- 
treated  their  wives,  and  were  truculent  and  over-bearing 
to  their  men.  The  Indians  stole  from  the  immigrants, 
and  drove  off  their  horses.  Then  began  a  season  of 
conflict  which,  by  one  tribe  and  another,  yet  with 
many  intermissions,  lasted  almost  down  to  our  own 
day.  For  the  most  part,  these  Indian  wars  are  well 
within  the  memory  of  living  men.  They  have  been 
told  of  by  those  who  saw  them  and  were  a  part  of 
them. 

Of  the  travellers  who  marched  westward  over  the 
arid  plains,  during  the  period  which  intervened  be- 
tween the  return  of  Lewis  and  Clark  and  the  establish- 
ment of  the  old  California  trail,  and  of  the  earlier 
northmen  who  trafficked  for  the  beaver  in  Canada,  a 
few  left  records  of  their  journeys;  and  of  these  records 
many  are  most  interesting  reading,  for  they  are  simple, 
faithful  narratives  of  the  every-day  life  of  travellers 
through  unknown  regions.  To  Americans  they  are  of 
especial  interest,  for  they  tell  of  a  time  when  one-half 
of  the  continent  which  now  teems  with  population  had 
no  inhabitants.  The  acres  which  now  contribute  freely 
of  food  that  supplies  the  world;  the  mountains  which 
now  echo  to  the  rattle  of  machinery,  and  the  shot  of  the 
blasts  which  lay  bare  millions  worth  of  precious  metal; 
the  waters  which  are  churned  by  propeller  blades,  trans- 
porting all  the  varied  products  of  the  land  to  their  mar- 


Introduction 


kets;  the  forests,  which,  alas!  in  too  many  sections, 
no  longer  rustle  to  the  breeze,  but  have  been  swept 
away  to  make  room  for  farms  and  town  sites — all  these 
were  then  undisturbed  and  natural,  as  they  had  been  for 
a  thousand  years.  Of  the  travellers  who  passed  over 
the  vast  stretches  of  prairie  or  mountain  or  woodland, 
many  saw  the  possibilities  of  this  vast  land,  and  proph- 
esied as  to  what  might  be  wrought  here,  when,  in  the 
dim  and  distant  future,  which  none  could  yet  fore- 
see, settlements  should  have  pushed  out  from  the  east 
and  occupied  the  land.  Other  travellers  declared  that 
these  barren  wastes  would  ever  prove  a  barrier  to 
westward  settlement. 

The  books  that  were  written  concerning  this  new 
land  are  mostly  long  out  of  print,  or  difficult  of  access; 
yet  each  one  of  them  is  worth  perusal.  Of  their  au- 
thors, some  bear  names  still  familiar,  even  though  their 
works  have  been  lost  sight  of.  Some  of  them  made 
discoveries  of  great  interest  in  one  branch  or  other  of 
science.  At  a  later  day  some  attained  fame.  Park- 
man's  first  essay  in  literature  was  his  story  of  The  Cali- 
fornia and  Oregon  Trail,  a  fitting  introduction  to  the 
many  fascinating  volumes  that  he  contributed  later  to 
the  early  history  of  America;  while  in  Washington 
Irving,  historian  and  essayist,  was  found  a  narrator 
who  should  first  tell  connectedly  of  the  fur  trade  of  the 
Northwest,  and  the  adventures  of  Bonneville. 

Besides  the  books  that  were  published  in  those  times, 
there  were  also  written  accounts,  usually  in  the  form 
of  diaries,  or  of  notes  kept  from  day  to  day  of  the  hap- 


io  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

penings  in  the  life  of  this  or  that  individual,  which  are 
full  of  interest,  because  they  give  us  pictures  of  one  or 
another  phase  of  early  travel,  or  hunting  adventures, 
or  of  trading  with  the  Indians.  Such  private  and  per- 
sonal accounts,  never  intended  for  the  public  eye,  are 
to-day  of  extreme  interest;  and  it  is  fortunate  that  an 
American  student,  the  late  Dr.  Elliott  Coues,  has  given 
us  volumes  which  tell  the  stories  of  Lewis  and  Clark, 
Pike  and  Garces,  of  Jacob  Fowler,  of  Alexander  Henry 
the  younger,  and  of  Charles  Larpenteur — contributions 
to  the  history  of  the  winning  of  the  greater  West  whose 
value  is  only  now  beginning  to  be  appreciated. 

The  chapters  that  follow  contain  much  of  history 
which  is  old,  but  which,  to  the  average  American,  will 
prove  absolutely  new.  One  may  imagine  himself  very 
much  interested  in  the  old  West,  familiar  with  its  history 
and  devoted  to  its  study,  but  it  is  not  until  he  has  gone 
through  volume  after  volume  of  this  ancient  literature 
that  he  realizes  how  greatly  his  knowledge  lacks  pre- 
cision and  how  much  he  still  has  to  learn  concerning 
the  country  he  inhabits. 

The  work  that  the  early  travellers  did,  and  the  books 
they  published,  showed  to  the  people  of  their  day  the 
conditions  which  existed  in  the  far  West,  caused  its 
settlement,  and  led  to  the  slow  discovery  of  its  mineral 
treasures,  and  the  slower  appreciation  of  its  possibili- 
ties to  the  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Each  of  these  vol- 
umes had  its  readers,  and  of  the  readers  of  each  we  may 
be  sure  that  a  few,  or  many,  attracted  by  the  graphic 
descriptions  of  the  new  land,  determined  that  they,  too, 


Introduction  1 1 


would  push  out  into  it;  they,  too,  would  share  in  the 
wealth  which  it  spread  out  with  lavish  hand. 

It  is  all  so  long  ago  that  we  who  are  busy  with  a 
thousand  modern  interests  care  little  about  who  con- 
tributed to  the  greatness  of  the  country  which  we  in- 
habit and  the  prosperity  which  we  enjoy.  But  there 
was  a  day,  which  men  alive  may  still  remember,  a  day 
of  strong  men,  of  brave  women,  hardy  pioneers,  and 
true  hearts,  who  ventured  forth  into  the  wilderness, 
braving  many  dangers  that  were  real,  and  many  more 
that  were  imaginary  and  yet  to  them  seemed  very  real, 
occupied  the  land,  broke  up  the  virgin  soil,  and  peopled 
a  wilderness. 

How  can  the  men  and  women  of  this  generation — 
dwellers  in  cities,  or  in  peaceful  villages,  or  on  smil- 
ing farms — realize  what  those  pioneers  did — how  they 
lived  ?  He  must  have  possessed  stern  resolution  and 
firm  courage,  who,  to  better  the  condition  of  those 
dearest  to  him,  risked  their  comfort — their  very  lives — 
on  the  hazard  of  a  settlement  in  the  unknown  wilder- 
ness. The  woman  who  accompanied  this  man  bore  an 
equal  part  in  the  struggle,  with  devoted  helpfulness 
encouraging  him  in  his  strife  with  nature  or  cheering 
him  in  defeat.  If  the  school  of  self-reliance  and  hardi- 
hood in  which  their  children  were  reared  gave  them 
little  of  the  lore  of  books,  it  built  strong  characters 
and  made  them  worthy  successors  of  courageous  par- 
ents. We  may  not  comprehend  how  long  and  fierce  was 
the  struggle  with  the  elements,  with  the  bristling  forest, 
with  the  unbroken  soil;  how  hard  and  wearing  the 


12  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

annoyance  of  wild  beasts,  the  anxiety  as  to  climate, 
the  fear  of  the  prowling  savage.  Yet  the  work  was 
done,  and  to-day,  from  the  Alleghanies  to  the  Pacific, 
we  behold  its  results. 

Through  hard  experience  these  pioneers  had  come 
to  understand  life.  They  possessed  a  due  sense  of  pro- 
portion. They  saw  the  things  which  were  essential; 
they  scorned  those  which  were  trivial.  If,  judged  by 
certain  standards,  they  were  rough  and  uncouth,  if  they 
spoke  a  strange  tongue,  wore  odd  apparel,  and  lived 
narrow  lives,  they  were  yet  practising — albeit  uncon- 
sciously— the  virtues — unflinching  courage,  sturdy  in- 
dependence and  helpfulness  to  their  neighbors — which 
have  made  America  what  it  is. 

In  the  work  of  travel  and  exploration  in  that  far 
West  of  which  we  used  to  read,  the  figure  which  stands 
out  boldest  and  most  heroic  of  all  is  unnamed.  Beard- 
ed, buckskin-clad,  with  rough  fur  cap,  or  kerchief  tied 
about  his  head,  wearing  powder-horn  and  ball-pouch, 
and  scalping-knife,  and  carrying  his  trusty  Hawkins 
rifle,  the  trapper — the  coureur  des  bois — was  the  man 
who  did  the  first  work  in  subduing  the  wild  West,  the 
man  who  laid  the  foundations  on  which  its  present 
civilization  is  built. 

All  honor  to  this  nameless  hero.  We  shall  meet  him 
often  as  we  follow  the  westward  trail. 


CHAPTER  II 
ALEXANDER  HENRY 


THE  fur  trade,  which  occupied  many  worthy  men 
during  the  eighteenth  and  first  half  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  forms  a  romantic  and  interesting 
part  of  the  early  history  of  our  country. 

The  traders,  usually  of  English  and  American  parent- 
age, associated  themselves  with  the  French  voyageurs, 
or  coureurs  des  bois,  whom  Masson  describes  as  "those 
heroes  of  the  prairie  and  forest,  regular  mixtures  of  good 
and  evil,  extravagant  by  nature,  at  the  same  time  grave 
and  gay,  cruel  and  compassionate;  as  credulous  as 
superstitious,  and  always  irreligious."  Traders  and 
voyageurs  alike  suffered  every  privation,  the  cold  of 
winter,  the  heat  of  summer,  and  finally,  by  incredible 
persistence,  beat  out  the  path  of  discovery  during  all 
seasons,  until  it  became  a  well-worn  trail;  all  to  pene- 
trate the  great  unknown,  which  might  contain  every- 
thing that  the  trader  desired.  The  man  who  lived 
in  those  times  and  under  those  conditions  was  brave 
and  enduring  without  trying  to  be;  he  was  alert  and 
quick  to  act,  and  unwearying  in  overcoming  obstacles. 

13 


14  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

Viewing  him  from  the  present  day,  we  might  call  him 
cruel  and  without  feeling;  but  in  those  times  men  were 
taught  not  to  show  their  feelings.  Their  lives  were 
given  in  great  part  to  surmounting  enormous  difficulties 
of  travel  in  unknown  regions,  and  to  establishing  trade 
relations  with  unknown  tribes  of  Indians,  who  often 
times  were  not  disposed  to  be  friendly.  The  fur  trader 
was  in  constant  danger,  not  only  from  hostile  Indians, 
but  often  from  starvation. 

Alexander  Henry  was  one  of  these  fur  traders.  He 
came  upon  the  scene  just  at  the  close  of  the  French 
regime.  At  twenty-one  he  had  joined  Amherst's  army, 
not  as  a  soldier,  but  in  "a  premature  attempt  to  share  in 
the  fur  trade  of  Canada,  directly  on  the  conquest  of  the 
country."  Wolfe's  victory  at  Quebec  in  the  previous 
year  had  aroused  the  English  traders  to  the  opportunity 
presented  of  taking  over  the  fur  trade  which  the  French 
had  opened  up,  and  Amherst's  large  army  was  watched 
with  great  interest  as  it  swept  away  the  last  remnant 
of  French  control.  Henry  was  well  fitted  for  the  life 
that  he  intended  to  pursue,  for  he  seems  to  have  had 
knowledge  of  the  trading  posts  of  Albany  and  New 
York. 

On  the  3d  day  of  August,  1761,  Henry  despatched 
his  canoes  from  Montreal  to  Lachine  on  an  expedition 
to  the  regions  west  of  the  Great  Lakes.  Little  did 
he  realize  then  that  he  should  be  gone  from  civilization 
for  sixteen  years;  that  he  should  suffer  and  want  but 
survive;  should  see  new  and  strange  peoples,  discover 
rivers  and  lakes,  build  forts,  to  be  used  by  others  who 


Alexander  Henry  15 

were  to  follow  him,  trade  with  the  natives,  and  finally 
return  to  hear  of  the  capture  of  Quebec  by  the  Ameri- 
cans, and  then  go  to  France  to  tell  of  his  adventures. 

The  route  of  the  expedition  was  the  usual  one.  Al- 
most immediately  after  leaving  Lachine  they  came  to 
the  broad  stretch  of  Lake  Saint  Louis.  At  St.  Anne's 
the  men  used  to  go  to  confession,  as  the  voyageurs  were 
almost  all  Catholics,  and  at  the  same  time  offered  up 
their  vows;  "for  the  saint  from  which  this  parish  derives 
its  name,  and  to  whom  its  church  is  dedicated,  is  the 
patroness  of  the  Canadians  in  all  their  travels  by  water." 
"There  is  still  a  further  custom  to  be  observed  on  arriv- 
ing at  Saint- Anne's,"  Henry  relates,  "which  is  that  of 
distributing  eight  gallons  of  rum  to  each  canoe  for  con- 
sumption during  the  voyage;  nor  is  it  less  according  to 
custom  to  drink  the  whole  of  this  liquor  upon  the  spot. 
The  saint,  therefore,  and  the  priest  were  no  sooner  dis- 
missed than  a  scene  of  intoxication  began  in  which  my 
men  surpassed,  if  possible,  the  drunken  Indian  in  sing- 
ing, fighting,  and  the  display  of  savage  gesture  and 


conceit." 


Continuing  up  the  river,  and  carrying  over  many  port- 
ages, they  at  last  reached  the  Ottawa,  and  soon  ascended 
the  Mattawa.  Hitherto  the  French  were  the  only  white 
men  that  had  been  known  in  this  region.  Their  rela- 
tions with  the  Indians  were  friendly,  and  the  Indians 
were  well  aware  of  the  enmity  existing  between  the 
French  and  the  English.  In  the  Lac  des  Chats  Henry 
met  several  canoes  of  Indians  returning  from  their  win- 
ter hunt.  They  recognized  him  as  an  Englishman,  and 


1 6  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

cautioned  him,  declaring  that  the  upper  Indians  would 
kill  him  when  they  saw  him,  and  said  that  the  English- 
men were  crazy  to  go  so  far  after  beaver.  The  expedi- 
tion came  at  last  to  Lake  Huron,  which  "lay  stretched 
across  our  horizon  like  an  ocean."  It  was,  perhaps, 
the  largest  water  Henry  had  yet  seen,  and  the  pros- 
pect was  alarming,  but  the  canoes  rode  with  the  ease  of 
a  sea-bird,  and  his  fears  subsided.  Coming  to  the  isl- 
and called  La  Cloche,  because  "there  is  here  a  rock 
standing  on  a  plain,  which,  being  struck,  rings  like  a 
bell,"  he  found  Indians,  with  whom  he  traded,  and  to 
whom  he  gave  some  rum,  and  who,  recognizing  him  as 
an  Englishman,  told  his  men  that  the  Indians  at  Mich- 
ilimackinac  would  certainly  kill  him.  On  the  advice  of 
his  friend  Campion,  Henry  changed  his  garb,  assuming 
the  dress  usually  worn  by  the  Canadians,  and,  smear- 
ing his  face  with  dirt  and  grease,  believed  himself  thor- 
oughly disguised. 

Passing  the  mouth  of  the  river  Missisaki,  he  found 
the  Indians  inhabiting  the  north  side  of  Lake  Superior 
cultivating  corn  in  small  quantities. 

As  he  went  on,  the  lake  before  him  to  the  westward 
seemed  to  become  less  and  less  broad,  and  at  last  he 
could  see  the  high  back  of  the  island  of  Michilimacki- 
nac,  commonly  interpreted  to  mean  the  great  turtle. 
He  found  here  a  large  village  of  Chippewas,  and  leav- 
ing as  soon  as  possible,  pushed  on  about  two  leagues 
farther  to  the  fort,  where  there  was  a  stockade  of  thirty 
houses  and  a  church. 

For  years  now  Fort  Michilimackinac  had   been  a 


Alexander  Henry  17 

scene  of  great  activity.  Established  by  Father  Mar- 
quette,  and  kept  up  by  succeeding  missionaries,  the 
first  men  to  brave  the  unknown  terrors  of  the  interior,  it 
was  from  here  in  1731  that  the  brave  and  adventurous 
Verendryes  set  out  on  their  long  journey  to  the  Forks 
of  the  Saskatchewan,  and  to  the  Missouri  River. 

This  was  the  half-way  house  for  all  the  westward 
pushing  and  eastward  coming  traders,  and  a  meeting 
place  for  all  the  tribes  living  on  the  Great  Lakes.  Here 
were  fur  traders,  trappers,  voyageurs,  and  Indians,  hurry- 
ing to  and  fro,  dressed  in  motley  and  picturesque  attire. 
Some  were  bringing  in  furs  from  long  and  perilous 
journeys  from  the  west,  while  others  were  on  the  eve  of 
departure  westward,  and  others  still  were  leaving  for 
Montreal.  The  scene  must  have  been  gay  and  active 
almost  beyond  our  powers  to  imagine.  Henry  was  in 
the  midst  of  all  this  when  the  word  came  to  him  that  a 
band  of  Chippewas  wished  to  speak  with  him;  and, 
however  unwillingly,  he  was  obliged  to  meet  them,  sixty 
in  number,  headed  by  Minavavana,  their  chief.  "They 
walked  in  single  file,  each  with  a  tomahawk  in  one  hand 
and  scalping-knife  in  the  other.  Their  bodies  were 
naked  from  the  waist  upward,  except  in  a  few  exam- 
ples, where  blankets  were  thrown  loosely  over  the  shoul- 
ders." Their  faces  were  painted  with  charcoal,  their 
bodies  with  white  clay,  and  feathers  were  tied  in  the 
heads  of  some,  and  thrust  through  the  noses  of  others. 
Before  the  opening  of  the  council,  the  chief  held  a  con- 
ference with  Campion,  asking  how  long  it  was  since 
Henry  had  left  Montreal,  and  observing  that  the  Eng- 


1 8  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

lish  must  be  brave  men  and  not  afraid  of  death,  since 
they  thus  ventured  to  come  fearlessly  among  their  ene- 
mies. After  the  pipe  had  been  smoked,  while  Henry 
"inwardly  endured  the  tortures  of  suspense,"  the  chief 
addressed  him,  saying: 

"Englishman,  our  father,  the  King  of  France,  em- 
ployed our  young  men  to  make  war  upon  your  nation. 
In  this  warfare  many  of  them  have  been  killed;  and  it 
is  our  custom  to  retaliate,  until  such  time  as  the  spirits 
of  the  slain  are  satisfied.  But  the  spirits  of  the  slain  are 
to  be  satisfied  in  either  of  two  ways :  the  first  is  by  the 
spilling  of  the  blood  of  the  nation  by  which  they  fell; 
the  other,  by  covering  the  bodies  of  the  dead,  and  thus 
allaying  the  resentment  of  their  relations.  This  is  done 
by  making  presents. 

"Englishman,  your  King  has  never  sent  us  any 
presents,  nor  entered  into  any  treaty  with  us,  wherefore 
he  and  we  are  still  at  war;  and,  until  he  does  these 
things,  we  must  consider  that  we  have  no  other  father 
nor  friend  among  the  white  men  than  the  King  of 
France;  but,  for  you,  we  have  taken  into  consideration 
that  you  have  ventured  your  life  among  us,  in  the  ex- 
pectation that  we  should  not  molest  you.  You  do  not 
come  armed,  with  an  intention  to  make  war;  you  come 
in  peace,  to  trade  with  us,  and  supply  us  with  neces- 
saries, of  which  we  are  in  much  want.  We  shall  re- 
gard you,  therefore,  as  a  brother,  and  you  may  sleep 
tranquilly,  without  fear  of  the  Chippewas.  As  a  token 
of  our  friendship,  we  present  you  with  this  pipe  to 
smoke/' 


Alexander  Henry  19 

In  reply,  Henry  told  them  that  their  late  father,  the 
King  of  France,  had  surrendered  Canada  to  the  King 
of  England,  whom  they  should  now  regard  as  their 
father,  and  that  he,  Henry,  had  come  to  furnish  them 
with  what  they  needed.  Things  were  thus  very  satis- 
factory, and  when  the  Chippewas  went  away  they  were 
given  a  small  quantity  of  rum. 

Henry  was  now  busily  at  work  assorting  his  goods, 
preparatory  to  starting  on  his  expedition,  when  two 
hundred  Ottawas  entered  the  fort  and  demanded  speech 
with  him.  They  insisted  that  he  should  give  credit  to 
every  one  of  their  young  men  to  the  amount  of  fifty 
beaver  skins,  but  as  this  demand  would  have  stripped 
him  of  all  his  merchandise,  he  refused  to  comply  with 
the  request.  What  the  Ottawas  might  have  done  is 
uncertain.  They  did  nothing,  because  that  very  day 
word  was  brought  that  a  detachment  of  English  sol- 
diers, sent  to  garrison  the  fort,  was  distant  only  five 
miles,  and  would  be  there  the  next  day.  At  daybreak 
the  Ottawas  were  seen  preparing  to  depart,  and  by 
sunrise  not  one  of  them  was  left  in  the  fort. 

Although  it  was  now  the  middle  of  September,  the 
traders  sent  off  their  canoes  on  the  different  trading 
expeditions.  These  canoes  were  victualled  largely 
with  Indian  corn  at  the  neighboring  village  of  L'Arbre 
Croche,  occupied  by  the  Ottawas.  This  corn  was  pre- 
pared for  use  by  boiling  it  in  a  strong  lye  which  re- 
moved the  husk,  after  which  it  was  pounded  and  dried, 
making  a  meal.  "The  allowance  for  each  man  on  the 
voyage  is  a  quart  a  day,  and  a  bushel,  with  two  pounds 


2O  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

of  prepared  fat,  is  reckoned  to  be  a  month's  subsistence. 
No  other  allowance  is  made  of  any  kind,  not  even  of 
salt,  and  bread  is  never  thought  of.  The  men,  never- 
theless, are  healthy,  and  capable  of  performing  their 
heavy  labor.  This  mode  of  victualling  is  essential  to  the 
trade,  which,  being  pursued  at  great  distances,  and  in 
vessels  so  small  as  canoes,  will  not  admit  of  the  use  of 
other  food.  If  the  men  were  to  be  supplied  with  bread 
and  pork,  the  canoes  could  not  carry  a  sufficiency  for 
six  months;  and  the  ordinary  duration  of  the  voyage  is 
not  less  than  fourteen." 

The  food  of  the  garrison  consisted  largely  of  small 
game,  partridges  and  hares,  and  of  fish,  especially 
trout,  whitefish,  and  sturgeon.  Trout  were  caught  with 
set  lines  and  bait,  and  whitefish  with  nets  under  the 
ice.  Should  this  fishery  fail,  it  was  necessary  to  pur- 
chase grain,  which,  however,  was  very  expensive,  cost- 
ing forty  livres,  or  forty  shillings,  Canadian  currency; 
though  there  was  no  money  in  Michilimackinac,  and 
the  circulating  medium  consisted  solely  of  furs.  A 
pound  of  beaver  was  worth  about  sixty  cents,  an  otter 
skin  six  shillings  Canadian,  and  marten  skins  about 
thirty  cents  each. 

Having  wintered  at  Michilimackinac,  Henry  set  out 
in  May  for  the  Sault  de  Sainte-Marie.  Here  there  was 
a  stockaded  fort,  with  four  houses,  one  of  which  was 
occupied  by  Monsieur  Cadotte,  the  interpreter,  and  his 
Chippewa  wife.  The  Indians  had  an  important  white- 
fish  fishery  at  the  rapids,  taking  the  fish  in  dip  nets.  In 
the  autumn  Henry  and  the  other  whites  did  much 


Alexander  Henry  21 

fishing;  and  in  the  winter  they  hunted,  and  took  large 
trout  with  the  spear  through  the  ice  in  this  way:  "In 
order  to  spear  trout  under  the  ice,  holes  being  first  cut 
of  two  yards  in  circumference,  cabins  of  about  two  feet 
in  height  are  built  over  them  of  small  branches  of  trees; 
and  these  are  further  covered  with  skins  so  as  to  wholly 
exclude  the  light.  The  design  and  result  of  this  con- 
trivance is  to  render  it  practicable  to  discern  objects  in 
the  water  at  a  very  considerable  depth;  for  the  reflec- 
tion of  light  from  the  water  gives  that  element  an 
opaque  appearance,  and  hides  all  objects  from  the 
eye  at  a  small  distance  beneath  its  surface.  A  spear 
head  of  iron  is  fastened  on  a  pole  of  about  ten  feet  in 
length.  This  instrument  is  lowered  into  the  water, 
and  the  fisherman,  lying  upon  his  belly,  with  his  head 
under  the  cabin  or  cover,  and  therefore  over  the  hole, 
lets  down  the  figure  of  a  fish  in  wood  and  filled  with 
lead.  Round  the  middle  of  the  fish  is  tied  a  small  pack 
thread,  and,  when  at  the  depth  of  ten  fathoms,  where 
it  is  intended  to  be  employed,  it  is  made,  by  drawing 
the  string  and  by  the  simultaneous  pressure  of  the  wa- 
ter, to  move  forward,  after  the  manner  of  a  real  fish. 
Trout  and  other  large  fish,  deceived  by  its  resemblance, 
spring  toward  it  to  seize  it,  but,  by  a  dexterous  jerk 
of  the  string,  it  is  instantly  taken  out  of  their  reach. 
The  decoy  is  now  drawn  nearer  to  the  surface,  and  the 
fish  takes  some  time  to  renew  the  attack,  during  which 
the  spear  is  raised  and  held  conveniently  for  striking. 
On  the  return  of  the  fish,  the  spear  is  plunged  into  its 
back,  and,  the  spear  being  barbed,  it  is  easily  drawn  out 


22  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

of  the  water.  So  completely  do  the  rays  of  the  light 
pervade  the  element  that  in  three-fathom  water  I  have 
often  seen  the  shadows  of  the  fish  on  the  bottom,  fol- 
lowing them  as  they  moved;  and  this  when  the  ice  it- 
self was  two  feet  in  thickness." 

The  burning  of  the  post  at  the  Sault  forced  all  hands 
to  return  next  winter  to  Michilimackinac,  where  the 
early  spring  was  devoted  to  the  manufacture  of  maple 
sugar,  an  important  article  of  diet  in  the  northern 
country. 

That  spring  Indians  gathered  about  the  fort  in  such 
large  numbers  as  to  make  Henry  fearful  that  something 
unusual  lay  behind  the  concourse.  He  spoke  about  it 
to  the  commanding  officer,  who  laughed  at  him  for  his 
timidity.  The  Indians  seemed  to  be  passing  to  and  fro 
in  the  most  friendly  manner,  selling  their  fur  and  at- 
tending to  their  business  altogether  in  a  natural  way. 

About  a  year  before  an  Indian  named  Wawatam  had 
come  into  Henry's  house,  expressed  a  strong  liking  for 
him,  and,  having  explained  that  years  before,  after  a 
fast,  he  had  dreamed  of  adopting  an  Englishman  as 
his  son,  brother,  and  friend,  told  Henry  that  in  him 
he  recognized  the  person  whom  the  Great  Spirit  had 
pointed  out  to  him  for  a  brother,  and  that  he  hoped 
Henry  would  become  one  of  his  family,  and  at  the  same 
time  he  made  him  a  large  present.  Henry  accepted 
these  friendly  overtures,  and  made  a  handsome  present 
in  return,  and  the  two  parted  for  the  time. 

Henry  had  almost  forgotten  his  brother,  when,  on 
the  second  day  of  June,  twelve  months  later,  Wawatam 


Alexander  Henry  23 

again  came  to  his  house  and  expressed  great  regret 
that  Henry  had  returned  from  the  Sault.  Wawatam 
stated  that  he  intended  to  go  there  at  once,  and  begged 
Henry  to  accompany  him.  He  asked,  also,  whether  the 
commandant  had  heard  bad  news,  saying  that  during 
the  winter  he  himself  had  been  much  disturbed  by  the 
noises  of  evil  birds,  and  that  there  were  many  Indians 
around  the  fort  who  had  never  shown  themselves  with- 
in it.  Both  the  chief  and  his  wife  strove  earnestly  to 
persuade  Henry  to  accompany  them  at  once,  but  he 
paid  little  attention  to  their  requests,  and  they  finally 
took  their  departure,  very  much  depressed — in  fact, 
even  weeping.  The  next  day  Henry  received  from  a 
Chippewa  an  invitation  to  come  out  and  see  the  great 
game  of  baggatiway,  or  lacrosse,  which  his  people  were 
going  to  play  that  day  with  the  Sacs.  But  as  a  canoe 
was  about  to  start  for  Montreal,  Henry  was  busy  writ- 
ing letters,  and  although  urged  by  a  friend  to  go  out 
and  meet  another  canoe  just  arriyed  from  Detroit,  he 
nevertheless  remained  in  his  room,  writing.  Suddenly 
he  heard  the  Indian  war-cry,  and,  looking  out  of  the 
window,  saw  a  crowd  of  Indians  within  the  fort  furi- 
ously cutting  down  and  scalping  every  Englishman  they 
found.  He  noticed,  too,  many  of  the  Canadian  inhab- 
itants of  the  fort  quietly  looking  on,  neither  trying  to 
stop  the  Indians  nor  suffering  injury  from  them;  and 
from  the  fact  that  these  people  were  not  being  attacked, 
he  conceived  the  hope  of  finding  security  in  one  of  their 
houses.  This  is  as  he  tells  it: 

"  Between  the  yard-door  of  my  own  house  and  that 


24  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

of  M.  Langlade,  my  next  neighbor,  there  was  only  a 
low  fence,  over  which  I  easily  climbed.  At  my  entrance 
I  found  the  whole  family  at  the  windows,  gazing  at  the 
scene  of  blood  before  them.  I  addressed  myself  imme- 
diately to  M.  Langlade,  begging  that  he  would  put  me 
into  some  place  of  safety  until  the  heat  of  the  affair 
should  be  over,  an  act  of  charity  by  which  he  might 
perhaps  preserve  me  from  the  general  massacre;  but, 
while  I  uttered  my  petition,  M.  Langlade,  who  had 
looked  for  a  moment  at  me,  turned  again  to  the  win- 
dow, shrugging  his  shoulders  and  intimating  that  he 
could  do  nothing  for  me — 'Que  voudriez-*uous  que  fen 
ferais?9 

"This  was  a  moment  for  despair;  but  the  next  a 
Pani  woman,  a  slave  of  M.  Langlade's,  beckoned  to  me 
to  follow  her.  She  brought  me  to  a  door,  which  she 
opened,  desiring  me  to  enter,  and  telling  me  that  it  led 
to  the  garret,  where  I  must  go  and  conceal  myself.  I 
joyfully  obeyed  her  directions  and  she,  having  followed 
me  up  to  the  garret  door,  locked  it  after  me,  and  with 
great  presence  of  mind  took  away  the  key. 

"This  shelter  obtained,  if  shelter  I  could  hope  to  find 
it,  I  was  naturally  anxious  to  know  what  might  still  be 
passing  without.  Through  an  aperture  which  afforded 
me  a  view  of  the  area  of  the  fort,  I  beheld,  in  shapes  the 
foulest  and  most  terrible,  the  ferocious  triumphs  of  bar- 
barian conquerors.  The  dead  were  scalped  and  man- 
gled; the  dying  were  writhing  and  shrieking  under  the 
unsatiated  knife  and  tomahawk,  and,  from  the  bodies 
of  some  ripped  open,  their  butchers  were  drinking  the 


Alexander  Henry  25 

blood,  scooped  up  in  the  hollow  of  joined  hands  and 
quaffed  amid  shouts  of  rage  an-d  victory.  I  was  shaken, 
not  only  with  horror,  but  with  fear.  The  sufferings 
which  I  witnessed,  I  seemed  on  the  point  of  experi- 
encing. No  long  time  elapsed  before  every  one  being 
destroyed  who  could  be  found,  there  was  a  general  cry 
of  'All  is  finished!'  At  the  same  instant  I  heard  some 
of  the  Indians  enter  the  house  in  which  I  was. 

"The  garret  was  separated  from  the  room  below  only 
by  a  layer  of  single  boards,  at  once  the  flooring  of  the 
one  and  the  ceiling  of  the  other.  I  could  therefore  hear 
everything  that  passed;  and,  the  Indians  no  sooner  in 
than  they  inquired  whether  or  not  any  Englishmen 
were  in  the  house?  M.  Langlade  replied  that  'He 
could  not  say — he  did  not  know  of  any' — answers  in 
which  he  did  not  exceed  the  truth,  for  the  Pani  woman 
had  not  only  hidden  me  by  stealth,  but  had  kept  my 
secret  and  her  own;  M.  Langlade  was  therefore,  as  I 
presume,  as  far  from  a  wish  to  destroy  me  as  he  was 
careless  about  saving  me,  when  he  added  to  these  an- 
swers that  'They  might  examine  for  themselves,  and 
would  soon  be  satisfied  as  to  the  object  of  their  ques- 
tion.' Saying  this,  he  brought  them  to  the  garret  door. 

"The  state  of  my  mind  will  be  imagined.  Arrived 
at  the  door,  some  delay  was  occasioned  by  the  absence 
of  the  key,  and  a  few  moments  were  thus  allowed  me 
in  which  to  look  around  for  a  hiding  place.  In  one 
corner  of  the  garret  was  a  heap  of  vessels  of  birch-bark, 
used  in  maple-sugar  making. 

"The  door  was  unlocked,  and  opening,  and  the  Ind- 


26  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

fans  ascending  the  stairs,  before  I  had  completely  crept 
into  a  small  opening  which  presented  itself  at  one  end 
of  the  heap.  An  instant  after  four  Indians  entered  the 
room,  all  armed  with  tomahawks,  and  all  besmeared 
with  blood  upon  every  part  of  their  bodies. 

"The  die  appeared  to  be  cast.  I  could  scarcely 
breathe:  but  I  thought  that  the  throbbing  of  my  heart 
occasioned  a  noise  loud  enough  to  betray  me.  The 
Indians  walked  in  every  direction  about  the  garret,  and 
one  of  them  approached  me  so  closely  that  at  a  particu- 
lar moment,  had  he  put  forth  his  hand,  he  must  have 
touched  me.  Still,  I  remained  undiscovered,  a  circum- 
stance to  which  the  dark  color  of  my  clothes  and  the 
want  of  light,  in  a  room  which  had  no  window,  and  in 
the  corner  in  which  I  was,  must  have  contributed.  In 
a  word,  after  taking  several  turns  in  the  room,  during 
which  they  told  M.  Langlade  how  many  they  had 
killed  and  how  many  scalps  they  had  taken,  they  re- 
turned down-stairs,  and  I  with  sensations  not  to  be  ex- 
pressed heard  the  door,  which  was  the  barrier  between 
me  and  fate,  locked  for  the  second  time. 

"There  was  a  feather  bed  on  the  floor,  and  on  this, 
exhausted  as  I  was  by  the  agitation  of  my  mind,  I  threw 
myself  down  and  fell  asleep.  In  this  state  I  remained 
till  the  dusk  of  the  evening,  when  I  was  awakened  by 
a  second  opening  of  the  door.  The  person  that  now 
entered  was  M.  Langlade's  wife,  who  was  much  sur- 
prised at  finding  me,  but  advised  me  not  to  be  uneasy, 
observing  that  the  Indians  had  killed  most  of  the  Eng- 
lish, but  that  she  hoped  I  might  myself  escape.  A 


Alexander  Henry  27 

shower  of  rain  having  begun  to  fall,  she  had  come  to 
stop  a  hole  in  the  roof.  On  her  going  away,  I  begged 
her  to  send  me  a  little  water  to  drink,  which  she  did. 

"As  night  was  now  advancing,  I  continued  to  lie  on 
the  bed,  ruminating  on  my  condition  but  unable  to  dis- 
cover a  resource  from  which  I  could  hope  for  life.  A 
flight  to  Detroit  had  no  probable  chance  of  success. 
The  distance  from  Michilimackinac  was  four  hundred 
miles;  I  was  without  provisions,  and  the  whole  length 
of  the  road  lay  through  Indian  countries,  countries  of 
an  enemy  in  arms,  where  the  first  man  whom  I  should 
meet  would  kill  me.  To  stay  where  I  was  threatened 
nearly  the  same  issue.  As  before,  fatigue  of  mind  and 
not  tranquillity,  suspended  my  cares  and  procured  me 
further  sleep.  .  .  . 

"The  respite  which  sleep  afforded  me  during  the 
night  was  put  an  end  to  by  the  return  of  morning.  I 
was  again  on  the  rack  of  apprehension.  At  sunrise  I 
heard  the  family  stirring,  and,  presently  after,  Indian 
voices,  informing  M.  Langlade  that  they  had  not  found 
my  hapless  self  among  the  dead,  and  that  they  sup- 
posed me  to  be  somewhere  concealed.  M.  Langlade 
appeared,  from  what  followed,  to  be  by  this  time  ac- 
quainted with  the  place  of  my  retreat,  of  which,  no 
doubt,  he  had  been  informed  by  his  wife.  The  poor 
woman,  as  soon  as  the  Indians  mentioned  me,  declared 
to  her  husband,  in  the  French  tongue,  that  he  should 
no  longer  keep  me  in  his  house,  but  deliver  me  up  to 
my  pursuers;  giving  as  a  reason  for  this  measure  that 
should  the  Indians  discover  his  instrumentality  in  my 


28  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

concealment  they  might  revenge  it  on  her  children, 
and  that  it  was  better  that  I  should  die  than  they.  M. 
Langlade  resisted  at  first  this  sentence  of  his  wife's; 
but  soon  suffered  her  to  prevail,  informing  the  Indians 
that  he  had  been  told  I  was  in  his  house;  that  I  had 
come  there  without  his  knowledge,  and  that  he  would 
put  me  into  their  hands.  This  was  no  sooner  expressed 
than  he  began  to  ascend  the  stairs,  the  Indians  follow- 
ing upon  his  heels. 

"  I  now  resigned  myself  to  the  fate  with  which  I  was 
menaced;  and  regarding  every  attempt  at  concealment 
as  vain,  I  arose  from  the  bed  and  presented  myself  full 
in  view  to  the  Indians  who  were  entering  the  room. 
They  were  all  in  a  state  of  intoxication,  and  entirely 
naked,  except  about  the  middle.  One  of  them,  named 
Wenniway,  whom  I  had  previously  known  and  who 
was  upward  of  six  feet  in  height,  had  his  entire  face  and 
body  covered  with  charcoal  and  grease,  only  that  a 
white  spot  of  two  inches  in  diameter  encircled  either 
eye.  This  man,  walking  up  to  me,  seized  me  with  one 
hand  by  the  collar  of  the  coat,  while  in  the  other  he  held 
a  large  carving  knife,  as  if  to  plunge  it  into  my  breast; 
his  eyes,  meanwhile,  were  fixed  steadfastly  on  mine.  At 
length,  after  some  seconds  of  the  most  anxious  suspense 
he  dropped  his  arm,  saying,  'I  won't  kill  you!'  To 
this  he  added  that  he  had  been  frequently  engaged  in 
wars  against  the  English,  and  had  brought  away  many 
scalps;  that,  on  a  certain  occasion,  he  had  lost  a  brother, 
whose  name  was  Musingon,  and  that  I  should  be  called 
after  him." 


[I  NOW  RESIGNED  MYSELF  TO  THE  FATE  WITH  WHICH  I  WAS 

MENACED." 


Alexander  Henry  29 

Several  times  within  the  next  two  or  three  days  Henry 
had  narrow  escapes  from  death  at  the  hands  of  drunken 
Indians;  but  finally  his  captors,  having  stripped  him 
of  all  his  clothing  save  an  old  shirt,  took  him,  with 
other  prisoners,  and  set  out  for  the  Isles  du  Castor,  in 
Lake  Michigan. 

At  the  village  of  L'Arbre  Croche,  the  Ottawas  forcibly 
took  away  their  prisoners  from  the  Chippewas,  but  the 
Chippewas  made  violent  complaint,  while  the  Ottawas 
explained  to  the  prisoners  that  they  had  taken  them 
from  the  Chippewas  to  save  their  lives,  it  being  the  prac- 
tice of  the  Chippewas  to  eat  their  enemies,  in  order  to 
give  them  courage  in  battle.  A  council  was  held  be- 
tween the  Chippewas  and  Ottawas,  the  result  of  which 
was  that  the  prisoners  were  handed  over  to  their  origi- 
nal captors.  But  before  they  had  left  this  place,  while 
Henry  was  sitting  in  the  lodge  with  his  captor,  his  friend 
and  brother,  Wawatam,  suddenly  entered.  As  he 
passed  Henry  he  shook  hands  with  him,  but  went 
toward  the  great  chief,  by  whom  he  sat  down,  and  after 
smoking,  rose  again  and  left  the  lodge,  saying  to  Henry 
as  he  passed  him,  "Take  courage." 

A  little  later,  Wawatam  and  his  wife  entered  the 
lodge,  bringing  large  presents,  which  they  threw  down 
before  the  chiefs.  Wawatam  explained  that  Henry  was 
his  brother,  and  therefore  a  relative  to  the  whole  tribe, 
and  asked  that  he  be  turned  over  to  him,  which  was 
done. 

Henry  now  went  with  Wawatam  to  his  lodge,  and 
thereafter  lived  with  him.  The  Indians  were  very  much 


3©  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

afraid  that  the  English  would  send  to  revenge  the 
killing  of  their  troops,  and  they  shortly  moved  to  the 
Island  of  Michilimackinac.  A  little  later  a  brigade  of 
canoes,  containing  goods  and  abundant  liquor,  was 
captured:  and  Wawatam,  fearing  the  results  of  the 
drink  on  the  Indians,  took  Henry  away  and  concealed 
him  in  a  cave,  where  he  remained  for  two  days. 

The  head  chief  of  the  village  of  Michilimackinac 
now  recommended  to  Wawatam  and  Henry  that,  on  ac- 
count of  the  frequent  arrival  of  Indians  from  Montreal, 
some  of  whom  had  lost  relatives  or  friends  in  the  war, 
Henry  should  be  dressed  like  an  Indian,  and  the  wis- 
dom of  this  advice  was  recognized.  His  hair  was  cut 
off,  his  head  shaved,  except  for  a  scalp-lock,  his  face 
painted,  and  Indian  clothing  given  him.  Wawatam 
helped  him  to  visit  Michilimackinac,  where  Henry 
found  one  of  his  clerks,  but  none  of  his  property.  Soon 
after  this  they  moved  away  to  Wawatam's  wintering 
ground,  which  Henry  was  very  willing  to  visit,  because 
in  the  main  camp  he  was  constantly  subjected  to  in- 
sults from  the  Indians  who  knew  of  his  race. 

Henry  writes  fully  of  the  customs  of  the  Indians,  of 
the  habits  of  many  of  the  animals  which  they  pursued, 
and  of  the  life  he  led.  He  says  that  during  this  winter 
"Raccoon  hunting  was  my  more  particular  and  daily 
employ.  I  usually  went  out  at  the  first  dawn  of  day, 
and  seldom  returned  till  sunset,  or  till  I  had  laden  my- 
self with  as  many  animals  as  I  could  carry.  By  de- 
grees I  became  familiarized  with  this  kind  of  life;  and 
had  it  not  been  for  the  idea,  of  which  I  could  not  divest 


Alexander  Henry  31 

my  mind,  that  I  was  living  among  savages,  and  for  the 
whispers  of  a  lingering  hope  that  I  should  one  day  be 
released  from  it,  or  if  I  could  have  forgotten  that  I  had 
ever  been  otherwise  than  as  I  then  was,  I  could  have 
enjoyed  as  much  happiness  in  this  as  in  any  other  sit- 


uation." 


Among  the  interesting  hunting  occurrences  narrated 
is  one  of  the  killing  of  a  bear,  and  of  the  ceremonies 
subsequent  to  this  killing  performed  by  the  Indians. 
He  says: 

"  In  the  course  of  the  month  of  January  I  happened 
to  observe  that  the  trunk  of  a  very  large  pine  tree  was 
much  torn  by  the  claws  of  a  bear,  made  both  in  going 
up  and  down.  On  further  examination,  I  saw  that  there 
was  a  large  opening  in  the  upper  part,  near  which  the 
smaller  branches  were  broken.  From  these  marks,  and 
from  the  additional  circumstance  that  there  were  no 
tracks  in  the  snow,  there  was  reason  to  believe  that  a 
bear  lay  concealed  in  the  tree. 

"On  returning  to  the  lodge,  I  communicated  my  dis- 
covery, and  it  was  agreed  that  all  the  family  should  go 
together  in  the  morning  to  assist  in  cutting  down  the 
tree,  the  girth  of  which  was  not  less  than  three  fathom. 
Accordingly,  in  the  morning  we  surrounded  the  tree, 
both  men  and  women,  as  many  at  a  time  as  could  con- 
veniently work  at  it,  and  here  we  toiled  like  beaver  till 
the  sun  went  down.  This  day's  work  carried  us  about 
half  way  through  the  trunk;  and  the  next  morning  we 
renewed  the  attack,  continuing  it  till  about  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  when  the  tree  fell  to  the  ground.  For 


32  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

a  few  minutes  everything  remained  quiet,  and  I  feared 
that  all  our  expectations  were  disappointed;  but,  as  I 
advanced  to  the  opening,  there  came  out,  to  the  great 
satisfaction  of  all  our  party,  a  bear  of  extraordinary 
size,  which,  before  she  had  proceeded  many  yards,  I 
shot. 

"The  bear  being  dead,  all  my  assistants  approached, 
and  all,  but  more  particularly  my  old  mother  (as  I  was 
wont  to  call  her),  took  her  head  in  their  hands,  stroking 
and  kissing  it  several  times,  begging  a  thousand  pardons 
for  taking  away  her  life;  calling  her  their  relation  and 
grandmother,  and  requesting  her  not  to  lay  the  fault 
upon  them,  since  it  was  truly  an  Englishman  that  had 
put  her  to  death. 

"This  ceremony  was  not  of  long  duration,  and  if  it 
was  I  that  killed  their  grandmother,  they  were  not  them- 
selves behindhand  in  what  remained  to  be  performed. 
The  skin  being  taken  off,  we  found  the  fat  in  several 
places  six  inches  deep.  This,  being  divided  into  two 
parts,  loaded  two  persons,  and  the  flesh  parts  were  as 
much  as  four  persons  could  carry.  In  all,  the  carcass 
must  have  exceeded  five  hundredweight. 

"As  soon  as  we  reached  the  lodge,  the  bear's  head 
was  adorned  with  all  the  trinkets  in  the  possession  of 
the  family,  such  as  silver  arm-bands  and  wrist-bands, 
and  belts  of  wampum,  and  then  laid  upon  a  scaffold  set 
up  for  its  reception  within  the  lodge.  Near  the  nose 
was  placed  a  large  quantity  of  tobacco. 

"The  next  morning  no  sooner  appeared  than  prepa- 
rations were  made  for  a  feast  to  the  manes.  The  lodge 


Alexander  Henry  33 

was  cleaned  and  swept,  and  the  head  of  the  bear  lifted 
up  and  a  new  stroud  blanket,  which  had  never  been 
used  before,  spread  under  it.  The  pipes  were  now  lit, 
and  Wawatam  blew  tobacco  smoke  into  the  nostrils  of 
the  bear,  telling  me  to  do  the  same,  and  thus  appease 
the  anger  of  the  bear  on  account  of  my  having  killed 
her.  I  endeavored  to  persuade  my  benefactor  and 
friendly  adviser  that  she  no  longer  had  any  life,  and 
assured  him  that  I  was  under  no  apprehension  from 
her  displeasure;  but  the  first  proposition  obtained  no 
credit,  and  the  second  gave  but  little  satisfaction. 

"At  length,  the  feast  being  ready,  Wawatam  com- 
menced a  speech,  resembling,  in  many  things,  his 
address  to  the  manes  of  his  relations  and  departed 
companions,  but  having  this  peculiarity,  that  he  here 
deplored  the  necessity  under  which  men  labored  thus 
to  destroy  their  friends.  He  represented,  however,  that 
the  misfortune  was  unavoidable,  since  without  doing 
so  they  could  by  no  means  subsist.  The  speech  ended, 
we  all  ate  heartily  of  the  bear's  flesh,  and  even  the  head 
itself,  after  remaining  three  days  on  the  scaffold,  was 
put  into  the  kettle. 

"It  is  only  the  female  bear  that  makes  her  winter 
lodging  in  the  upper  parts  of  trees,  a  practice  by  which 
her  young  are  secured  from  the  attacks  of  wolves  and 
other  animals.  She  brings  forth  in  the  winter  season, 
and  remains  in  her  lodge  till  the  cubs  have  gained  some 
strength. 

"The  male  always  lodges  in  the  ground,  under  the 
roots  of  trees.  He  takes  to  this  habitation  as  soon  as 


34  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

the  snow  falls,  and  remains  there  till  it  has  disappeared. 
The  Indians  remark  that  the  bear  comes  out  in  the 
spring  with  the  same  fat  which  he  carried  in  in  the  au- 
tumn; but,  after  exercise  of  only  a  few  days,  becomes 
lean.  Excepting  for  a  short  part  of  the  season,  the 
male  lives  constantly  alone. 

"The  fat  of  our  bear  was  melted  down,  and  the  oil 
filled  six  porcupine  skins.  A  part  of  the  meat  was  cut 
into  strips  and  fire-dried,  after  which  it  was  put  into 
the  vessels  containing  the  oil,  where  it  remained  in  per- 
fect preservation  until  the  middle  of  summer." 

When  spring  came,  and  they  returned  to  the  more 
travelled  routes  and  met  other  Indians,  it  was  seen  that 
these  people  were  all  anxious  lest  the  English  should 
this  summer  avenge  the  outbreak  of  the  Indians  of  the 
previous  year.  Henry  was  exceedingly  anxious  to  es- 
cape from  his  present  life,  and  his  brother  was  willing 
that  he  should  go,  but  this  appeared  difficult.  At  last, 
however,  a  Canadian  canoe,  carrying  Madame  Ca- 
dotte,  came  along,  and  this  good  woman  was  willing  to 
assist  Henry  so  far  as  she  could.  He  and  his  brother 
parted  rather  sadly,  and  Henry,  now  under  the  guise  of 
a  Canadian,  took  a  paddle  in  Madame  Cadotte's 
canoe.  She  took  him  safely  to  the  Sault,  where  he  was 
welcomed  by  Monsieur  Cadotte,  whose  great  influence 
among  the  Indians  was  easily  sufficient  to  protect  him. 
Soon  after  this  there  came  an  embassy  from  Sir  William 
Johnson,  calling  the  Indians  to  come  to  Niagara  and 
make  peace  with  the  English;  and  after  consulting  the 
Great  Turtle,  who  was  the  guardian  spirit  of  the  Chip- 


Alexander  Henry  35 

pewas,  a  number  of  young  men  volunteered  to  go  to 
Niagara,  and  among  them  Henry. 

After  a  long  voyage  they  reached  Niagara,  where 
Henry  was  very  kindly  received  by  Sir  William  Johnson 
and  subsequently  was  appointed  by  General  Brad- 
street,  commander  of  an  Indian  battalion  of  ninety-six 
men,  among  whom  were  many  of  the  Indians  who,  not 
long  before,  had  been  ready  and  eager  to  kill  him. 
With  this  command  he  moved  westward,  and  after  peace 
had  been  made  with  Pontiac  at  Detroit,  with  a  de- 
tachment of  troops  reached  Michilimackinac,  where  he 
recovered  a  part  of  his  property. 


CHAPTER  III 

ALEXANDER  HENRY 
II 

THE  French  Government  had  established  regula- 
tions governing  the  fur  trade  in  Canada,  and  in 
1765,  when  Henry  made  his  second  expedition, 
some  features  of  the  old  system  were  still  preserved.    No 
person  was  permitted  to  enter  the  countries  lying  north- 
west of  Detroit  unless  furnished  with  a  license,  and 
military  commanders  had  the  privilege  of  granting  to 
any  individual  the  exclusive  trade  of  particular  dis- 
tricts. 

At  this  time  beaver  were  worth  two  shillings  and  six- 
pence per  pound;  otter  skins,  six  shillings  each;  mar- 
tens, one  shilling  and  sixpence;  all  this  in  nominal 
Michilimackinac  currency,  although  here  fur  was  still 
the  current  coin.  Henry  loaded  his  four  canoes  with 
the  value  of  ten  thousand  pounds'  weight  of  good  and 
merchantable  beaver.  For  provision  he  purchased  fifty 
bushels  of  corn,  at  ten  pounds  of  beaver  per  bushel. 
He  took  into  partnership  Monsieur  Cadotte,  and  leaving 
Michilimackinac  July  14,  and  Sault  Sainte-Marie  the 
26th,  he  proceeded  to  his  wintering  ground  at  Chagoue- 

36 


Alexander  Henry  37 

mig.  On  the  iQth  of  August  he  reached  the  river 
Ontonagan,  notable  for  its  abundance  of  native  copper, 
which  the  Indians  used  to  manufacture  into  spoons 
and  bracelets  for  themselves.  This  they  did  by  the 
mere  process  of  hammering  it  out.  Not  far  beyond 
this  river  he  met  Indians,  to  whom  he  gave  credit. 
"The  prices  were  for  a  stroud  blanket,  ten 'beaver  skins; 
for  a  white  blanket,  eight;  a  pound  of  powder,  two;  a 
pound  of  shot  or  of  ball,  one;  a  gun,  twenty;  an  axe 
of  one  pound  weight,  two;  a  knife,  one."  As  the  value 
of  a  skin  was  about  one  dollar,  the  prices  to  the  Ind- 
ians were  fairly  high. 

Chagouemig,  where  Henry  wintered,  is  now  known 
as  Chequamegon.  It  is  in  Wisconsin,  a  bay  which 
partly  divides  Bayfield  from  Ashland  county,  and  seems 
always  to  have  been  a  great  gathering  place  for  Indians. 
There  were  now  about  fifty  lodges  here,  making,  with 
those  who  had  followed  Henry,  about  one  hundred 
families.  All  were  poor,  their  trade  having  been  in- 
terfered with  by  the  English  invasion  of  Canada  and  by 
Pontiac's  war.  Henry  was  obliged  to  distribute  goods 
to  them  to  the  amount  of  three  thousand  beaver  skins, 
and  this  done,  the  Indians  separated  to  look  for  fur. 
Henry  sent  a  clerk  to  Fond  du  Lac  with  two  loaded 
canoes;  Fond  du  Lac  being,  roughly,  the  site  of  the 
present  city  of  Duluth.  As  soon  as  Henry  was  fairly 
settled,  he  built  a  house,  and  began  to  collect  fish  from 
the  lake  as  food  for  the  winter.  Before  long  he  had 
two  thousand  trout  and  whitefish,  the  former  frequently 
weighing  fifty  pounds  each,  the  latter  from  four  to  six. 


38  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

They  were  preserved  by  being  hung  up  by  the  tail  and 
did  not  thaw  during  the  winter.  When  the  bay  froze 
over,  Henry  amused  himself  by  spearing  trout,  and 
sometimes  caught  a  hundred  in  a  day,  each  weighing 
on  an  average  twenty  pounds. 

He  had  some  difficulty  with  the  first  hunting  party 
which  brought  furs.  The  men  crowded  into  his  house 
and  demanded  rum,  and  when  he  refused  it,  they  threat- 
ened to  take  all  he  had.  His  men  were  frightened  and 
all  abandoned  him.  He  got  hold  of  a  gun,  however, 
and  on  threatening  to  shoot  the  first  who  should  lay 
hands  on  anything,  the  disturbance  began  to  subside 
and  was  presently  at  an  end.  He  now  buried  the  liquor 
that  he  had,  and  when  the  Indians  were  finally  per- 
suaded that  he  had  none  to  give  them,  they  went  and 
came  very  peaceably,  paying  their  debts  and  purchas- 
ing goods. 

The  ice  broke  up  in  April,  and  by  the  middle  of  May 
the  Indians  began  to  come  in  with  their  furs,  so  that 
by  the  close  of  the  spring  Henry  found  himself  with  a 
hundred  and  fifty  packs  of  beaver,  weighing  a  hundred 
pounds  each,  besides  twentyrfive  packs  of  otter  and 
marten  skins.  These  he  took  to  Michilimackinac,  ac- 
companied by  fifty  canoes  of  Indians,  who  still  had  a 
hundred  packs  of  beaver  that  they  did  not  sell.  It  ap- 
pears, therefore,  that  Henry's  ten  thousand  pounds  of 
beaver  brought  him  fifty  per  cent,  profit  in  beaver,  be- 
sides the  otter  and  the  marten  skins  which  he  had. 

On  his  way  back  he  went  up  the  Ontonagan  River 
to  see  the  celebrated  mass  of  copper  there,  which  he 


Alexander  Henry  39 

estimated  to  weigh  no  less  than  five  tons.  So  pure  was 
it  that  with  an  axe  he  chopped  off  a  piece  weighing  a 
hundred  pounds.  This  great  mass  of  copper,  which 
had  been  worked  at  for  no  one  knows  how  long  by  Ind- 
ians and  by  early  explorers,  lay  there  for  eighty  years 
after  Henry  saw  it;  and  finally,  in  1843,  was  removed 
to  the  Smithsonian  Institution  at  Washington.  It  was 
then  estimated  to  weigh  between  three  and  four  tons, 
and  the  cost  of  transporting  it  to  the  national  capital 
was  about  $3,500. 

The  following  winter  was  passed  at  Sault  Sainte- 
Marie,  and  was  rather  an  unhappy  one,  as  the  fishery 
failed,  and  there  was  great  suffering  from  hunger. 
Canadians  and  Indians  gathered  there  from  the  sur- 
rounding country,  driven  in  by  lack  of  food.  Among  the 
incidents  of  the  winter  was  the  arrival  of  a  young  man 
who  had  been  guilty  of  cannibalism.  He  was  killed  by 
the  Indians,  not  so  much  as  punishment,  as  from  the 
fear  that  he  would  kill  and  eat  some  of  their  children. 

A  journey  to  a  neighboring  bay  resulted  in  no  great 
catch  of  fish,  and  returning  to  the  Sault,  Henry  started 
for  Michilimackinac.  At  the  first  encampment,  an 
hour's  fishing  procured  them  seven  trout,  of  from  ten 
to  twenty  pounds'  weight.  A  little  later  they  met  a 
camp  of  Indians  who  had  fish,  and  shared  with  them; 
and  the  following  day  Henry  killed  a  caribou,  by  which 
they  camped  and  on  which  they  subsisted  for  two  days. 

The  following  winter  Henry  stopped  at  Michipicoten, 
on  the  north  side  of  Lake  Superior,  and  about  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  from  the  Sault.  Here  there  were 


4<D  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

a  few  people  known  as  Gens  des  Terres,  a  tribe  of  Algon- 
quins,  living  in  middle  Canada,  and  ranging  from  the 
Athabasca  country  east  to  Lake  Temiscamingue.  A 
few  of  them  still  live  near  the  St.  Maurice  River,  in  the 
Province  of  Quebec.  These  people,  though  miserably 
poor,  and  occupying  a  country  containing  very  few 
animals,  had  a  high  reputation  for  honesty  and  worth. 
Therefore,  Henry  gave  to  every  man  credit  for  one  hun- 
dred beaver  skins,  and  to  every  woman  thirty — a  very 
large  credit. 

There  was  some  game  in  this  country,  a  few  cari- 
bou, and  some  hares  and  partridges.  The  hills  were 
well  wooded  with  sugar-maples,  and  from  these,  when 
spring  came,  Henry  made  sugar;  and  for  a  time  this 
was  their  sole  provision,  each  man  consuming  a  pound 
a  day,  desiring  no  other  food,  and  being  visibly  nour- 
ished by  the  sugar.  Soon  after  this,  wildfowl  appeared 
in  such  abundance  that  subsistence  for  fifty  could 
without  difficulty  be  shot  daily  by  one  man,  but  this 
lasted  only  for  a  week,  by  which  time  the  birds  all  de- 
parted. By  the  end  of  May  all  to  whom  Henry  had 
advanced  goods  returned,  an'd  of  the  two  thousand 
skins  for  which  he  had  given  them  credit,  not  thirty  re- 
mained unpaid.  The  small  loss  that  he  did  suffer  was 
occasioned  by  the  death  of  one  of  the  Indians,  whose 
family  brought  all  the  skins  of  which  he  died  pos- 
sessed, and  offered  to  contribute  among  themselves  the 
balance. 

The  following  winter  was  also  to  be  passed  at  Michi- 
picoten,  and  in  the  month  of  October,  after  all  the 


Alexander  Henry  41 

Indians  had  received  their  goods  and  had  gone  away, 
Henry  set  out  for  the  Sault  on  a  visit.  He  took  little 
provision,  only  a  quart  of  corn  for  each  person. 

On  the  first  night  they  camped  on  an  island  sacred  to 
Nanibojou,  one  of  the  Chippewa  gods,  and  failed  to 
offer  the  tobacco  which  an  Indian  would  always  have 
presented  to  the  spirit.  In  the  night  a  violent  storm 
arose  which  continued  for  three  days.  When  it  abated 
on  the  third  day  they  went  to  examine  the  net  which 
they  had  set  for  fish,  and  found  it  gone.  The  wind  was 
ahead  to  return  to  Michipicoten,  and  they  steered  for 
the  Sault;  but  that  night  the  wind  shifted  and  blew  a 
gale  for  nine  days  following.  They  soon  began  to 
starve,  and  though  Henry  hunted  faithfully,  he  killed 
nothing  more  than  two  snowbirds.  One  of  his  men  in- 
formed him  that  the  other  two  had  proposed  to  kill  and 
eat  a  young  woman,  whom  they  were  taking  to  the 
Sault,  and  when  taxed  with  the  proposition,  these  two 
men  had  the  hardihood  to  acknowledge  it.  The  next 
morning,  Henry,  still  searching  for  food,  found  on  a 
rock  the  tripe  de  roche,  a  lichen,  which,  when  cooked, 
yields  a  jelly  which  will  support  life.  The  discovery 
of  this  food,  on  which  they  supported  themselves  there- 
after, undoubtedly  saved  the  life  of  the  poor  woman. 
When  they  embarked  on  the  evening  of  the  ninth  day 
they  were  weak  and  miserable;  but,  luckily,  the  next 
morning,  meeting  two  canoes  of  Indians,  they  received 
a  gift  of  fish,  and  at  once  landed  to  feast  on  them. 

In  the  spring  of  1769,  and  for  some  years  afterward, 
Henry  turned  his  attention  more  or  less  to  mines.  He 


42  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

visited  the  He  de  Maurepas,  said  to  contain  shining 
rocks  and  stones  of  rare  description,  but  was  much  dis- 
appointed in  the  island,  which  seemed  commonplace 
enough.  A  year  later  Mr.  Baxter,  with  whom  Henry 
had  formed  a  partnership  for  copper  mining,  returned, 
and  during  the  following  winter,  at  Sault  Sainte-Marie, 
they  built  vessels  for  navigating  the  lakes.  Henry 
had  heard  of  an  island  (Caribou  Island)  in  Lake  Su- 
perior described  as  covered  with  a  heavy  yellow  sand 
like  gold-dust,  and  guarded  by  enormous  snakes.  With 
Mr.  Baxter  he  searched  for  this  island  and  finally 
found  it,  but  neither  yellow  sands  nor  snakes  nor  gold. 
Hawks  there  were  in  abundance,  and  one  of  them 
picked  Henry's  cap  from  his  head.  There  were  also 
caribou,  and  they  killed  thirteen,  and  found  many 
complete  and  undisturbed  skeletons.  Continuing  their 
investigations  into  the  mines  about  the  lakes,  they 
found  abundant  copper  ore,  and  some  supposed  to  con- 
tain silver.  But  their  final  conclusion  was  that  the 
cost  of  carrying  the  copper  ore  to  Montreal  must  ex- 
ceed its  marketable  value. 

In  June,  1775,  Henry  left  Sault  Sainte-Marie  with  four 
large  canoes  and  twelve  small  ones,  carrying  goods  and 
provisions  to  the  value  of  three  thousand  pounds  ster- 
ling. He  passed  west,  over  the  Grand  Portage,  en- 
tered Lac  a  la  Pluie,  passed  down  to  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods,  and  finally  reached  Lake  Winipegon.  Here 
there  were  Crees,  variously  known  as  Christinaux,  Kin- 
istineaux,  Killistinoes,  and  Killistinaux.  Lake  Wini- 
pegon is  sometimes  called  the  Lake  of  the  Crees.  These 


Alexander  Henry  43 

people  were  primitive.  Almost  entirely  naked,  the 
whole  body  was  painted  with  red  ochre;  the  head  was 
wholly  shaved,  or  the  hair  was  plucked  out,  except  a 
spot  on  the  crown,  where  it  grew  long  and  was  rolled 
and  gathered  into  a  tuft;  the  ears  were  pierced,  and 
filled  with  bones  of  fishes  and  land  animals.  The 
women,  on  the  other  hand,  had  long  hair,  which  was 
gathered  into  a  roll  on  either  side  of  the  head  above 
the  ear,  and  was  covered  with  a  piece  of  skin,  painted 
or  ornamented  with  beads  of  various  colors.  The  tradi- 
tions of  the  Cheyennes  of  to-day  point  back  to  precisely 
similar  methods  of  dressing  the  hair  of  the  women  and 
of  painting  the  men. 

The  Crees  were  friendly,  and  gave  the  traveller  pres- 
ents of  wild  rice  and  dried  meat.  He  kept  on  along  the 
lake  and  soon  joined  Peter  Pond,  a  well-known  trader 
of  early  days.  A  little  later,  in  early  September,  the 
two  Frobishers  and  Mr.  Patterson  overtook  them.  On 
the  ist  of  October  they  reached  the  River  de  Bourbon, 
now  known  as  the  Saskatchewan,  and  proceeded  up 
it,  using  the  tow-line  to  overcome  the  Great  Rapids. 
They  passed  on  into  Lake  de  Bourbon,  now  Cedar  Lake, 
and  by  old  Fort  Bourbon,  built  by  the  Sieur  de  Veren- 
drye.  At  the  mouth  of  the  Pasquayah  River  they  found 
a  village  of  Swampy  Crees,  the  chief  of  whom  expressed 
his  gratification  at  their  coming,  but  remarked  that,  as 
it  would  be  possible  for  him  to  kill  them  all  when  they 
returned,  he  expected  them  to  be  extremely  liberal  with 
their  presents.  He  then  specified  what  it  was  that  he 
desired,  namely,  three  casks  of  gunpowder,  four  bags  of 


44  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

shot  and  ball,  two  bales  of  tobacco,  three  kegs  of  rum, 
and  three  guns,  together  with  many  smaller  articles. 
Finally  he  declared  that  he  was  a  peaceable  man,  and 
always  tried  to  get  along  without  quarrels.  The  trad- 
ers were  obliged  to  submit  to  being  thus  robbed,  and 
passed  on  up  the  river  to  Cumberland  House.  Here 
they  separated,  M.  Cadotte  going  on  with  four  canoes 
to  the  Fort  des  Prairies,  a  name  given  then  and  later  to 
many  of  the  trading  posts  built  on  the  prairie.  This 
one  is  probably  that  Fort  des  Prairies  which  was  situated 
just  below  the  junction  of  the  north  and  south  forks  of 
the  Saskatchewan  River,  and  was  known  as  Fort  Nip- 
pewen.  Mr.  Pond,  with  two  canoes,  went  to  Fort 
Dauphin,  on  Lake  Dauphin,  while  the  Messrs.  Fro- 
bisher  and  Henry  agreed  to  winter  together  on  Beaver 
Lake.  Here  they  found  a  good  place  for  a  post,  and 
were  soon  well  lodged.  Fish  were  abundant,  and  the 
post  soon  assumed  the  appearance  of  a  settlement. 
Owing  to  the  lateness  of  the  season,  their  canoes  could 
not  be  buried  in  the  ground,  as  was  the  common  prac- 
tice, and  they  were  therefore  placed  on  scaffolds.  The 
fishing  here  was  very  successful,  and  moose  were  killed. 
The  Indians  brought  in  beaver  and  bear's  meat,  and 
some  skins  for  sale. 

In  January,  1776,  Henry  left  the  fort  on  Beaver  Lake, 
attended  by  two  men,  and  provided  with  dried  meat, 
frozen  fish,  and  cornmeal,  to  make  an  excursion  over 
the  plains,  "or,  as  the  French  denominate  them,  the 
Prairies,  or  Meadows."  There  was  snow  on  the  ground, 
and  the  baggage  was  hauled  by  the  men  on  sledges. 


Alexander  Henry  45 

The  cold  was  bitter,  but  they  were  provided  with  "ox 
skins,  which  the  traders  call  buffalo  robes." 

Beaver  Lake  was  in  the  wooded  country,  and,  indeed, 
all  Henry's  journeyings  hitherto  had  been  through  a 
region  that  was  timbered;  but  here,  striking  south  and 
west,  by  way  of  Cumberland  House,  he  says,  "I  was 
not  far  advanced  before  the  country  betrayed  some  ap- 
proaches to  the  characteristic  nakedness  of  the  plains. 
The  wood  dwindled  away,  both  in  size  and  quantity, 
so  that  it  was  with  difficulty  we  could  collect  sufficient 
for  making  a  fire,  and  without  fire  we  could  not  drink, 
for  melted  snow  was  our  only  resource,  the  ice  on  the 
river  being  too  thick  to  be  penetrated  by  the  axe." 
Moreover,  the  weather  was  bitterly  cold,  and  after  a 
time  provisions  grew  scanty.  No  game  was  seen  and 
no  trace  of  anything  human.  The  men  began  to  starve 
and  to  grow  weak,  but  as  tracks  of  elk  and  moose  were 
seen,  Henry  cheered  them  up  by  telling  them  that  they 
would  certainly  kill  something  before  long. 

"On  the  twentieth,  the  last  remains  of  our  provisions 
were  expended;  but  I  had  taken  the  precaution  to  con- 
ceal a  cake  of  chocolate  in  reserve  for  an  occasion  like 
that  which  was  now  arrived.  Toward  evening  my  men, 
after  walking  the  whole  day,  began  to  lose  their  strength, 
but  we  nevertheless  kept  on  our  feet  till  it  was  late,  and 
when  we  encamped  I  informed  them  of  the  treasure 
which  was  still  in  store.  I  desired  them  to  fill  the  kettle 
with  snow,  and  argued  with  them  the  while  that  the 
chocolate  would  keep  us  alive  for  five  days  at  least,  an 
interval  in  which  we  should  surely  meet  with  some  Ind- 


46  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

ian  at  the  chase.  Their  spirits  revived  at  the  sugges- 
tion, and,  the  kettle  being  filled  with  two  gallons  of 
water,  I  put  into  it  one  square  of  the  chocolate.  The 
quantity  was  scarcely  sufficient  to  alter  the  color  of  the 
water,  but  each  of  us  drank  half  a  gallon  of  the  warm 
liquor,  by  which  we  were  much  refreshed,  and  in  its 
enjoyment  felt  no  more  of  the  fatigues  of  the  day.  In 
the  morning  we  allowed  ourselves  a  similar  repast,  after 
finishing  which  we  marched  vigorously  for  six  hours. 
But  now  the  spirits  of  my  companions  again  deserted 
them,  and  they  declared  that  they  neither  would,  nor 
could,  proceed  any  further.  For  myself,  they  advised 
me  to  leave  them,  and  accomplish  the  journey  as  I 
could;  but  for  themselves,  they  said,  that  they  must 
die  soon,  and  might  as  well  die  where  they  were  as 
anywhere  else. 

"While  things  were  in  this  melancholy  posture,  I 
filled  the  kettle  and  boiled  another  square  of  chocolate. 
When  prepared  I  prevailed  upon  my  desponding  com- 
panions to  return  to  their  warm  beverage.  On  taking 
it  they  recovered  inconceivably,  and,  after  smoking  a 
pipe,  consented  to  go  forward.  While  their  stomachs 
were  comforted  by  the  warm  water  they  walked  well, 
but  as  evening  approached  fatigue  overcame  them,  and 
they  relapsed  into  their  former  condition,  and,  the  choc- 
olate being  now  almost  entirely  consumed,  I  began  to 
fear  that  I  must  really  abandon  them,  for  I  was  able 
to  endure  more  hardship  than  they,  and,  had  it  not 
been  for  keeping  company  with  them,  I  could  have 
advanced  double  the  distance  within  the  time  which 


Alexander  Henry  47 

had  been  spent.  To  my  great  joy,  however,  the  usual 
quantity  of  warm  water  revived  them. 

"  For  breakfast  the  next  morning  I  put  the  last  square 
of  chocolate  into  the  kettle,  and,  our  meal  finished,  we 
began  our  march  in  but  very  indifferent  spirits.  We 
were  surrounded  by  large  herds  of  wolves  which  some- 
times came  close  upon  us,  and  who  knew,  as  we  were 
prone  to  think,  the  extremity  in  which  we  were,  and 
marked  us  for  their  prey;  but  I  carried  a  gun,  and  this 
was  our  protection.  I  fired  several  times,  but  unfor- 
tunately missed  at  each,  for  a  morsel  of  wolFs  flesh 
would  have  afforded  us  a  banquet. 

"Our  misery,  nevertheless,  was  still  nearer  its  end 
than  we  imagined,  and  the  event  was  such  as  to  give 
one  of  the  innumerable  proofs  that  despair  is  not  made 
for  man.  Before  sunset  we  discovered  on  the  ice  some 
remains  of  the  bones  of  an  elk  left  there  by  the  wolves. 
Having  instantly  gathered  them,  we  encamped,  and, 
filling  our  kettle,  prepared  ourselves  a  meal  of  strong 
and  excellent  soup.  The  greater  part  of  the  night  was 
passed  in  boiling  and  regaling  on  our  booty,  and  early 
in  the  morning  we  felt  ourselves  strong  enough  to  pro- 
ceed. 

"This  day,  the  twenty-fifth,  we  found  the  borders 
of  the  plains  reaching  to  the  very  banks  of  the  river, 
which  were  two  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  ice. 
Water  marks  presented  themselves  at  twenty  feet  above 
the  actual  level. 

"Want  had  lost  his  dominion  over  us.  At  noon  we 
saw  the  horns  of  a  red  deer  [an  elk  or  wapiti]  standing 


48  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

in  the  snow  on  the  river.  On  examination  we  found 
that  the  whole  carcass  was  with  them,  the  animal  having 
broke  through  the  ice  in  the  beginning  of  the  winter  in 
attempting  to  cross  the  river  too  early  in  the  season, 
while  his  horns,  fastening  themselves  in  the  ice,  had 
prevented  him  from  sinking.  By  cutting  away  the  ice 
we  were  enabled  to  lay  bare  a  part  of  the  back  and 
shoulders,  and  thus  procure  a  stock  of  food  amply  suf- 
ficient for  the  rest  of  our  journey.  We  accordingly 
encamped  and  employed  our  kettle  to  good  purpose, 
forgot  all  our  misfortunes,  and  prepared  to  walk  with 
cheerfulness  the  twenty  leagues  which,  as  we  reckoned, 
still  lay  between  ourselves  and  Fort  des  Prairies. 

"Though  the  deer  must  have  been  in  this  situation 
ever  since  the  month  of  November,  yet  its  flesh  was 
perfectly  good.  Its  horns  alone  were  five  foot  high  or 
more,  and  it  will  therefore  not  appear  extraordinary 
that  they  should  be  seen  above  the  snow. 

"On  the  twenty-seventh,  in  the  morning,  we  discov- 
ered the  print  of  snow-shoes,  demonstrating  that  several 
persons  had  passed  that  way  the  day  before.  These 
were  the  first  marks  of  other  human  feet  than  our  own 
which  we  had  seen  since  our  leaving  Cumberland  House, 
and  it  was  much  to  feel  that  we  had  fellow-creatures 
in  the  wide  waste  surrounding  us.  In  the  evening  we 
reached  the  fort." 

At  Fort  des  Prairies,  Henry  saw  more  provisions  than 
he  had  ever  before  dreamed  of.  In  one  heap  he  saw 
fifty  tons  of  buffalo  meat,  so  fat  that  the  men  could 
hardly  find  meat  lean  enough  to  eat.  Immediately 


Alexander  Henry  49 

south  of  this  plains  country,  which  he  was  on  the  edge 
of,  was  the  land  of  the  Osinipoilles  [Assiniboines,  a 
tribe  of  the  Dakota  or  Sioux  nation],  and  some  of 
these  people  being  at  the  fort,  Henry  determined  to 
visit  them  at  their  village,  and  on  the  5th  of  February 
set  out  to  do  so.  The  Indians  whom  they  accompanied 
carried  their  baggage  on  dog  travois.  They  used  snow- 
shoes  and  travelled  swiftly,  and  at  night  camped  in  the 
shelter  of  a  little  grove  of  wood.  There  were  fourteen 
people  in  the  tent  in  which  Henry  slept  that  night,  but 
these  were  not  enough  to  keep  each  other  warm.  They 
started  each  morning  at  daylight,  and  travelled  as  long 
as  they  could,  and  over  snow  that  was  often  four  feet 
deep.  During  the  journey  they  saw  buffalo,  which 
Henry  calls  wild  oxen,  but  did  not  disturb  them,  as 
they  had  no  time  to  do  so,  and  no  means  of  carrying 
the  flesh  if  they  had  killed  any.  One  night  they  met  two 
young  men  who  had  come  out  to  meet  the  party.  They 
had  not  known  that  there  were  white  men  with  it,  and 
announced  that  they  must  return  to  advise  the  chief 
of  this;  but  before  they  could  start,  a  storm  came  up 
which  prevented  their  departure.  All  that  night  and 
part  of  the  next  day  the  wind  blew  fiercely,  with  drift- 
ing snow.  "In  the  morning  we  were  alarmed  by  the 
approach  of  a  herd  of  oxen,  who  came  from  the  open 
ground  to  shelter  themselves  in  the  wood.  Their  num- 
bers were  so  great  that  we  dreaded  lest  they  should 
fairly  trample  down  the  camp;  nor  could  it  have  hap- 
pened otherwise  but  for  the  dogs,  almost  as  numerous 
as  they,  who  were  able  to  keep  them  in  check.  The 


50  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

Indians  killed  several  when  close  upon  their  tents,  but 
neither  the  fire  of  the  Indians  nor  the  noise  of  the  dogs 
could  soon  drive  them  away.  Whatever  were  the  ter- 
rors which  filled  the  wood,  they  had  no  other  escape 
from  the  terrors  of  the  storm." 

Two  days  later  they  reached  the  neighborhood  of  the 
camp,  which  was  situated  in  a  woody  island.  Messen- 
gers came  to  welcome  them,  and  a  guard  armed  with 
bows  and  spears,  evidently  the  soldiers,  to  escort  them 
to  the  home  which  had  been  assigned  them.  They  were 
quartered  in  a  comfortable  skin  lodge,  seated  on  buffalo 
robes;  women  brought  them  water  for  washing,  and 
presently  a  man  invited  them  to  a  feast,  himself  show- 
ing them  the  way  to  the  head  chief's  tent.  The  usual 
smoking,  feasting,  and  speech-making  followed. 

These  Osinipoilles  seemed  not  before  to  have  seen 
white  men,  for  when  walking  about  the  camp,  crowds 
of  women  and  children  followed  them,  very  respectfully, 
but  evidently  devoured  by  insatiable  curiosity.  Water 
here  was  obtained  by  hanging  a  buffalo  paunch  ket- 
tle filled  with  snow  in  the  smoke  of  the  fire,  and,  as 
the  snow  melted,  more  and  more  was  added,  until  the 
paunch  was  full  of  water.  During  their  stay  they  never 
had  occasion  to  cook  in  the  lodge,  being  constantly  in- 
vited to  feasts.  They  had  with  them  always  the  guard 
of  soldiers,  who  were  careful  to  allow  no  one  to  crowd 
upon  or  annoy  the  travellers.  They  had  been  here  but 
a  short  time  when  the  head  chief  sent  them  word  that 
he  was  going  to  hunt  buffalo  the  next  day,  and  asked 
them  to  be  of  the  party. 


Alexander  Henry  51 

"In  the  morning  we  went  to  the  hunt  accordingly. 
The  chief  was  followed  by  about  forty  men  and  a  great 
number  of  women.  We  proceeded  to  a  small  island  [of 
timber]  on  the  plain,  at  the  distance  of  five  miles  from 
the  village.  On  our  way  we  saw  large  herds  of  oxen 
at  feed,  but  the  hunters  forebore  to  molest  them  lest 
they  should  take  the  alarm. 

"Arrived  at  the  island, the  women  pitched  a  few  tents, 
while  the  chief  led  his  hunters  to  its  southern  end,  where 
there  was  a  pound  or  inclosure.  The  fence  was  about 
four  feet  high,  and  formed  of  strong  stakes  of  birch 
wood,  wattled  with  smaller  branches  of  the  same.  The 
day  was  spent  in  making  repairs,  and  by  the  evening 
all  was  ready  for  the  hunt. 

"At  daylight  several  of  the  more  expert  hunters  were 
sent  to  decoy  the  animals  into  the  pound.  They  were 
dressed  in  ox  skins,  with  the  hair  and  horns.  Their 
faces  were  covered,  and  their  gestures  so  closely  resem- 
bled those  of  the  animals  themselves  that,  had  I  not 
been  in  the  secret,  I  should  have  been  as  much  deceived 
as  the  oxen. 

"At  ten  o'clock  one  of  the  hunters  returned,  bring- 
ing information  of  the  herd.  Immediately  all  the  dogs 
were  muzzled;  and,  this  done,  the  whole  crowd  of  men 
and  women  surrounded  the  outside  of  the  pound.  The 
herd,  of  which  the  extent  was  so  great  that  I  cannot 
pretend  to  estimate  the  numbers,  was  distant  half  a 
mile,  advancing  slowly,  and  frequently  stopping  to 
feed.  The  part  played  by  the  decoyers  was  that  of 
approaching  them  within  hearing  and  then  bellowing 


52  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

like  themselves.  On  hearing  the  noise,  the  oxen  did 
not  fail  to  give  it  attention,  and,  whether  from  curiosity 
or  sympathy,  advanced  to  meet  those  from  whom  it 
proceeded.  These,  in  the  meantime,  fell  back  delib- 
erately toward  the  pound,  always  repeating  the  call 
whenever  the  oxen  stopped.  This  was  reiterated  till 
the  leaders  of  the  herd  had  followed  the  decoyers  into 
the  jaws  of  the  pound,  which,  though  wide  asunder 
toward  the  plain,  terminated,  like  a  funnel,  in  a  small 
aperture  or  gateway,  and  within  this  was  the  pound 
itself.  The  Indians  remark  that  in  all  herds  of  ani- 
mals there  are  chiefs,  or  leaders,  by  whom  the  motions 
of  the  rest  are  determined. 

"The  decoyers  now  retired  within  the  pound,  and 
were  followed  by  the  oxen.  But  the  former  retired 
still  further,  withdrawing  themselves  at  certain  movable 
parts  of  the  fence,  while  the  latter  were  fallen  upon  by 
all  the  hunters  and  presently  wounded  and  killed  by 
showers  of  arrows.  Amid  the  uproar  which  ensued  the 
oxen  made  several  attempts  to  force  the  fence,  but  the 
Indians  stopped  them  and  drove  them  back  by  shak- 
ing skins  before  their  eyes.  Skins  were  also  made  use 
of  to  stop  the  entrance,  being  let  down  by  strings  as 
soon  as  the  oxen  were  inside.  The  slaughter  was  pro- 
longed till  the  evening,  when  the  hunters  returned  to 
their  tents.  Next  morning  all  the  tongues  were  pre- 
sented to  the  chief,  to  the  number  of  seventy-two. 

"The  women  brought  the  meat  to  the  village  on 
sledges  drawn  by  dogs.  The  lumps  on  the  shoulders, 
and  the  hearts,  as  well  as  the  tongues,  were  set  apart 


Alexander  Henry  53 

for  feasts,  while  the  rest  was  consumed  as  ordinary  food, 
or  dried,  for  sale  at  the  fort." 

Henry  has  much  to  say  about  the  Assiniboines,  their 
methods  of  hunting,  religion,  marriage,  healing,  and 
many  other  customs.  He  notes  especially  their  cruelty 
to  their  slaves,  and  says  that  the  Assiniboines  seldom 
married  captive  women. 

On  the  i  gth  of  February  the  Assiniboine  camp  started 
to  the  Fort  des  Prairies,  and  on  the  28th  camped  at  a 
little  distance  from  it;  but  Henry  and  his  companions 
went  on,  and  reached  the  post  that  evening.  Henry 
declares  that  "The  Osinipoilles  at  this  period  had  had 
no  acquaintance  with  any  foreign  nation  sufficient  to 
affect  their  ancient  and  pristine  habits.  Like  the  other 
Indians,  they  were  cruel  to  their  enemies;  but,  as  far  as 
the  experience  of  myself  and  other  Europeans  authorizes 
me  to  speak,  they  were  a  harmless  people  with  a  large 
share  of  simplicity  of  manners  and  plain  dealing.  They 
lived  in  fear  of  the  Cristinaux,  by  whom  they  were  not 
only  frequently  imposed  upon,  but  pillaged,  when  the 
latter  met  their  bands  in  smaller  numbers  than  their 
own." 

On  the  22d  of  March  Henry  set  out  to  return  to 
Beaver  Lake.  They  reached  Cumberland  House  on 
the  5th  of  April,  and  Beaver  Lake  on  the  Qth.  The 
lake  was  still  covered  with  ice,  and  fish  had  grown 
scarce,  so  that  it  was  necessary  to  keep  fishing  all  the 
time  in  order  to  provide  sustenance.  Early  in  May, 
however,  water-fowl  made  their  appearance,  and  for 
some  little  time  there  was  abundance.  They  left  their 


54  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

post  on  the  2 1  st  of  April,  very  short  of  provisions.  They 
travelled  slowly,  finally  coming  to  a  large  lake  which, 
on  the  6th  of  June,  was  still  frozen  over,  but  the  ice 
was  too  weak  to  be  crossed.  The  Indians  killed  some 
moose.  On  reaching  Churchill  River  they  set  out 
for  Lake  Arabuthcow  [Athabasca]  with  six  Canadians 
and  an  Indian  woman  as  guide.  The  river  was  some- 
times broad  and  slow-flowing,  and  again  narrow  and 
very  rapid.  Fish  were  plenty.  On  January  24th  they 
reached  Isle  a  la  Crosse  Lake,  and  met  a  number  of 
Indians,  to  whom  they  made  presents  and  whom  they 
invited  to  visit  them  at  their  fort.  These  Indians  seem 
to  have  been  Chipewyans,  known  to  ethnologists  as 
Athabascans.  They  accepted  the  white  men's  invita- 
tion, and  all  started  for  the  fort,  continuing  the  journey 
day  and  night,  stopping  only  to  boil  the  kettle. 

The  discipline  among  these  Athabasca  Indians  seemed 
exceedingly  good,  as,  in  fact,  it  usually  was  in  primitive 
times.  The  orders  given  by  the  chief  were  conscien- 
tiously obeyed,  and  this  under  circumstances  of  much 
temptation,  since,  when  liquor  was  being  served  out  to 
the  young  men,  a  certain  number  were  told  off  who  were 
ordered  not  to  drink  at  all,  but  to  maintain  a  constant 
guard  over  the  white  men. 

In  the  trade  which  followed,  the  Indians  delivered 
their  skins  at  a  small  window  in  the  fort,  made  for  that 
purpose,  asking  at  the  same  time  for  the  different  arti- 
cles they  wished  to  purchase,  of  which  the  prices  had 
been  previously  settled  with  the  chiefs.  The  trade 
lasted  for  more  than  two  days,  and  amounted  to  12,000 


Alexander  Henry  55 

beaver  skins,  besides  large  numbers  of  otter  and  mar- 
ten skins.  These  Indians  had  come  from  Lake  Ara- 
buthcow,  at  which  they  had  wintered.  They  reported 
that  at  the  farther  end  of  that  lake  was  a  river  called 
Peace  River,  which  descended  from  the  Stony  or  Rocky 
Mountains,  from  which  mountains  the  distance  to  the 
Salt  Lake,  meaning  the  Pacific  Ocean,  was  not  great. 
Other  things  the  Indians  told  Henry  which  he  did  not 
then  understand,  but  a  few  years  later  Alexander  Mac- 
kenzie was  to  meet  these  problems  and  to  solve  many 
of  them.  These  Indians  dressed  in  beaver  skins,  and 
were  orderly  and  unoffending.  Mr.  Joseph  Frobisher 
and  Henry  now  set  out  to  return  to  the  Grand  Portage, 
leaving  the  remainder  of  their  merchandise  in  the  care 
of  Thomas  Frobisher,  who  was  to  go  with  them  to  Lake 
Athabasca. 

When  Henry  reached  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  he 
found  there  some  Indians,  who  told  him  that  a  strange 
nation  had  entered  Montreal,  taken  Quebec,  killed  all 
the  English,  and  would  certainly  be  at  the  Grand  Port- 
age before  they  reached  there.  Henry  remarked  to  his 
companion  that  he  suspected  the  Bastonnais  had  been 
up  to  some  mischief  in  Canada,  and  the  Indians  at 
once  exclaimed,  "Yes,  that's  the  name,  Bastonnais." 
Bastonnais  or  Bostonnais,  that  is,  "  Boston  men,"  was 
a  name  commonly  used  in  the  Northwest  to  distinguish 
the  Americans  from  the  English,  or  "King  George 


men." 


Without  further  accident  Henry  reached  the  Grand 
Portage,  from  which  place  he  continued  to  Montreal, 


56  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

which  he  reached  the  I5th  of  October.  Here  he  found 
that  the  Americans  had  been  driven  out,  and  that  the 
city  was  protected  by  the  forces  of  General  Burgoyne. 
The  capture  of  Montreal  took  place  in  the  fall  of 
1775,  and  Quebec  was  besieged  during  the  winter  of 
1775-1776,  and  it  was  nearly  a  year  later  that  Henry 
heard  the  news  at  the  Lake  of  the  Woods. 

This  ends  the  account  of  Henry's  travels,  but  he  was 
still  in  the  fur  trade  for  many  years  later,  In  1785  he 
was  a  leading  merchant  of  Montreal,  and  in  1790  he 
returned  to  Michilimackinac. 

His  book  was  published  in  New  York  in  1809,  and 
thus  not  until  eight  years  after  the  publication  of  Alex- 
ander Mackenzie's  great  work.  Henry  died  in  Mon- 
treal, April  4,  1824,  m  tne  ^5tn  7ear  °f  ms  age- 

Besides  himself  being  a  fur  trader,  Henry  was  a 
father  of  fur  traders.  His  son,  William  Henry,  is  con- 
stantly mentioned  in  the  diary  of  Alexander  Henry  the 
younger.  A  second  son,  Alexander,  was  also  in  the 
fur  trade,  and  was  killed  on  the  Liard  River.  Alex- 
ander Henry  the  younger,  a  nephew,  is  well  known, 
and  will  be  noticed  hereafter.  A  Mr.  Bethune,  con- 
stantly spoken  of  by  Alexander  Henry,  Jr.,  may,  or 
may  not,  have  been  a  relative.  Certain  it  is  that  Alex- 
ander Henry  had  nephews  named  Bethune. 

The  narrative  is  remarkable  from  its  simplicity  and 
clearness  of  style,  as  well  as  for  the  keen  powers  of  ob- 
servation shown  by  the  writer.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
interesting  of  the  many  interesting  volumes  on  the  fur 
trade  of  its  own  and  later  times. 


CHAPTER  IV 
JONATHAN  CARVER 

AT  the  close  of  the  "late  war  with  France,"  when 
peace  had  been  established  by  the  treaty  of  Ver- 
sailles, in  the  year  1763,  Jonathan  Carver,  the 
captain  of  a  company  of  provincial  troops  during  the 
French  and  Indian  War,  began  to  consider  how  he 
might  continue  to  do  service  to  his  country  and  contrib- 
ute as  much  as  lay  in  his  power  to  make  advantageous 
to  Great  Britain  that  vast  territory  which  had  been  ac- 
quired by  that  war  in  North  America.  What  this  ter- 
ritory was,  how  far  it  extended,  what  were  its  products, 
who  were  its  inhabitants,  were  some  of  the  questions 
that  suggested  themselves  to  Carver.  He  was  a  good 
patriot,  and  felt  that  knowledge  as  to  these  points  would 
be  of  the  greatest  importance  to  his  country.  With  the 
natural  suspicion  that  Englishmen  of  his  time  felt  of 
the  French,  he  believed  that  they,  while  they  retained 
their  power  in  North  America,  had  taken  every  artful 
method  to  keep  all  other  nations,  particularly  the  Eng- 
lish, ignorant  of  everything  concerning  the  interior  parts 
of  the  country.  "To  accomplish  this  design  with  the 
greatest  certainty,"  he  says,  "they  had  published  in- 

57 


58  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

accurate  maps  and  false  accounts;  calling  the  different 
nations  of  the  Indians  by  nicknames  they  had  given 
them,  and  not  by  those  really  appertaining  to  them. 
Whether  the  intention  of  the  French  in  doing  this  was 
to  prevent  these  nations  from  being  discovered  and 
traded  with,  or  to  conceal  their  discourse,  when  they 
talked  to  each  other  of  the  Indian  concerns,  in  their 
presence,  I  will  not  determine;  but  whatsoever  was  the 
cause  from  which  it  arose,  it  tended  to  mislead." 

Carver  contemplated  something  more  important  and 
far-reaching  than  the  mere  investigation  of  the  country, 
for  he  says:  "What  I  chiefly  had  in  view  after  gaining 
a  knowledge  of  the  manners,  customs,  languages,  soil, 
and  natural  products  of  the  different  nations  that  in- 
habit the  back  of  the  Mississippi,  was  to  ascertain  the 
breadth  of  that  vast  continent  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean  in  its  broadest  part,  between  43  and  46 
degrees  north  latitude.  Had  I  been  able  to  accomplish 
this,  I  intended  to  have  proposed  to  the  government  to 
establish  a  post  in  some  of  those  parts  about  the  Straits 
of  Annian  [Puget  Sound]  which,  having  been  first  dis- 
covered by  Sir  Francis  Drake,  of  course  belonged  to 
the  English.  This,  I  am  convinced,  would  greatly 
facilitate  the  discovery  of  the  northwest  passage,  or  a 
communication  between  Hudson's  Bay  and  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  an  event  so  desirable,  and  which  has  been  so 
often  sought  for,  but  without  success.  Besides  this  im- 
portant end,  a  settlement  on  that  extremity  of  America 
would  answer  many  good  purposes,  and  repay  every 
expense  the  establishment  of  it  might  occasion.  For 


Jonathan  Carver  59 

it  would  not  only  disclose  new  sources  of  trade,  and  pro- 
mote many  useful  discoveries,  but  would  open  a  passage 
for  conveying  intelligence  to  China,  and  the  English 
settlements  in  the  East  Indies,  with  greater  expedition 
than  a  tedious  voyage  by  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  or 
the  Straits  of  Magellan  would  allow  of." 

Carver's  projects  for  crossing  the  continent  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean  proved  abortive;  yet  he  travelled  into  the 
interior  nearly  as  far  as  any  one  had  hitherto  advanced. 
True,  the  Verendryes  and  one  or  two  of  the  Jesuit 
Fathers  went  beyond  him  on  this  parallel  of  latitude; 
yet  the  work  which  Carver  published  is  almost  the 
first  that  touches  on  a  region  lying  well  within  the  bor- 
ders of  the  Louisiana  Purchase,  and  now  one  of  the 
most  important  sections  of  the  United  States. 

In  his  introduction,  Carver  has  a  prophetic  word  to 
say  about  the  unhappy  relations  existing,  when  he  wrote, 
between  Great  Britain  and  America.  "To  what  power 
or  authority  this  new  world  will  become  dependent, 
after  it  has  arisen  from  its  present  uncultivated  state, 
time  alone  can  discover.  But  as  the  seat  of  Empire, 
from  time  immemorial,  has  been  gradually  progressive 
toward  the  west,  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  at  some 
future  period,  mighty  kingdoms  will  emerge  from  these 
wildernesses,  and  stately  palaces  and  solemn  temples, 
with  gilded  spires  reaching  the  skies,  supplant  the  Ind- 
ians' huts,  whose  only  decorations  are  the  barbarous  tro- 
phies of  their  vanquished  enemies." 

In  June,  1766,  Carver  left  Boston  for  the  interior 
parts  of  North  America.  He  has  little  to  say  about 


60  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

the  country  lying  adjacent  to  the  "back-settlements," 
which,  he  observes,  have  often  been  described.  He 
passed  through  the  Great  Lakes,  mentioning  as  he  goes 
various  Indian  tribes  and  some  of  the  products  of  the 
country,  stopped  some  little  time  at  the  great  town  of 
the  Winnebagoes,  at  Lake  Winnebago,  in  Wisconsin, 
where  he  was  very  civilly  received.  At  this  time  these 
people  had  a  queen,  or  woman  chief.  He  discusses 
this  tribe  at  some  length,  and  incidentally  repeats 
a  curious  story:  "An  elderly  chief  more  particularly 
acquainted  me  that,  about  forty-six  winters  ago,  he 
marched,  at  the  head  of  fifty  warriors,  toward  the  south- 
west for  three  moons.  That  during  this  expedition, 
whilst  they  were  crossing  a  plain,  they  discovered  a 
body  of  men  on  horseback,  who  belonged  to  the  Black 
People;  for  so  they  call  the  Spaniards.  As  soon  as 
they  perceived  them,  they  proceeded  with  caution,  and 
concealed  themselves  till  night  came  on;  when  they 
drew  so  near  as  to  be  able  to  discern  the  number  and 
situation  of  their  enemies.  Finding  they  were  not  able 
to  cope  with  so  great  a  superiority  by  daylight,  they 
waited  till  they  had  retired  to  rest;  when  they  rushed 
upon  them,  and  after  having  killed  the  greatest  part 
of  the  men,  took  eighty  horses  loaded  with  what  they 
termed  white  stone.  This  I  suppose  to  have  been  silver, 
as  he  told  me  the  horses  were  shod  with  it,  and  that 
their  bridles  were  ornamented  with  the  same.  When 
they  had  satiated  their  revenge,  they  carried  off  their 
spoil,  and  being  got  so  far  as  to  be  out  of  reach  of  the 
Spaniards  that  had  escaped  their  fury,  they  left  the  use- 


Jonathan  Carver  61 

less  and  ponderous  burthen,  with  which  the  horses 
were  loaded,  in  the  woods,  and  mounting  themselves, 
in  this  manner  returned  to  their  friends.  The  party 
they  had  thus  defeated,  I  conclude  to  be  the  caravan 
that  annually  conveys  to  Mexico  the  silver  which  the 
Spaniards  find  in  great  quantities  on  the  mountains 
lying  near  the  heads  of  the  Colorado  River;  and  the 
plains  where  the  attack  was  made,  probably,  some  they 
were  obliged  to  pass  over  in  their  way  to  the  heads  of 
the  River  St.  Fee,  or  Rio  del  Nord,  which  falls  into  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  west  of  the  Mississippi." 

From  the  Winnebago  town,  Carver  proceeded  up 
the  Fox  River,  and  then  carried  across  a  short  distance 
to  the  Ouisconsin  River,  and  proceeded  down  that. 
Here  he  found  the  great  town  of  the  Saukies,  the  lar- 
gest and  best  built  Indian  town  he  ever  saw.  It  con- 
sisted of  "about  ninety  houses,  each  large  enough  for 
several  families,  built  of  hewn  plank,  neatly  jointed, 
and  covered  with  bark  so  compactly  as  to  keep  out  the 
most  penetrating  rains."  The  streets  were  regular  and 
spacious;  and  it  appeared  more  like  a  civilized  town 
than  the  abode  of  savages.  About  the  town  lay  the 
plantations  of  the  Indians,  in  which  they  raised  great 
quantities  of  corn,  beans,  and  melons;  and  their  an- 
nual product  was  so  large  that  this  place  was  esteemed 
the  best  market  for  traders  to  furnish  themselves  with 
provisions  of  any  within  eight  hundred  miles.  Near 
the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  River,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi,  the  Ottigaumies — Outagami,  i.e.,  "people 
of  the  other  band,"  that  is  the  Foxes — had  a  large  town, 


62  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

at  a  place  called  "La  Prairie  des  Chiens  [Carver  writes 
this  name  in  various  ways],  which  signifies  Dog 
Plains,"  a  great  trading  place. 

About  the  first  of  November,  Carver  reached  Lake 
Pepin,  and  speaks  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm  of  the 
beauty  of  the  country,  its  apparent  productiveness,  and 
the  extraordinary  number  of  game  and  wild  fowl  seen 
near  about  it.  "On  the  plains,"  he  says,  "are  the 
largest  buffalo  of  any  in  America.  In  the  groves  are 
found  great  plenty  of  turkeys  and  partridges;  while 
great  numbers  of  fowl,  such  as  storks,  swans,  geese, 
brants,  and  ducks  frequent  the  lake."  A  little  below 
that  lake  he  discovered,  in  a  fine,  level,  open  plain, 
what  had  once  been  a  breastwork,  about  four  feet  in 
height,  extending  the  best  part  of  a  mile,  and  sufficiently 
capacious  to  cover  five  thousand  men;  one  of  the  fa- 
mous mounds  for  which  the  Mississippi  Valley  has  so 
long  been  celebrated. 

About  thirty  miles  above  Lake  Pepin,  near  the  St. 
Croix  River,  Carver  met  three  bands  of  the  Naudowes- 
sie — Sioux — Indians;  and  while  he  was  there  a  war 
party  of  Chippewas  approached  the  camp,  and  seemed 
to  be  preparing  for  an  attack.  The  Sioux  requested 
Carver  to  help  them,  to  put  himself  at  their  head  and 
lead  them  against  their  enemies.  This  the  traveller 
was  of  course  unwilling  to  do,  for  his  work  in  the  coun- 
try made  it  important  that  he  should  be  friendly  with 
all  people.  He  endeavored  to  persuade  the  Sioux  to 
allow  him  to  attempt  to  make  peace  with  the  Chippe- 
was, and  when  at  length  they  assented,  he  met  the  in- 


Jonathan  Carver  63 

vaders  and  succeeded  in  inducing  them  to  turn  back 
without  making  an  attack.  He  then  persuaded  the 
Sioux  to  move  their  camp  to  another  part  of  the  coun- 
try, lest  the  Chippewas  should  change  their  mind 
and  return  to  attack  them.  Carver  declares  that  this 
diplomatic  success  gained  him  great  credit  with  both 
Sioux  and  Chippewas;  that  to  it  he  was  indebted  for 
the  friendly  reception  that  he  afterward  met  with  the 
Naudowessie  of  the  Plains;  and  that  when  many 
months  later  he  reached  the  village  of  the  Chippewas, 
farther  to  the  north,  he  was  received  with  great  cor- 
diality by  the  chiefs,  many  of  whom  thanked  him  for 
having  prevented  the  mischief. 

About  thirty  miles  below  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony, 
Carver  was  shown  a  remarkable  cave  of  amazing  depth, 
which  the  Indians  called  Wacon-teebe — Wakan  tipi, 
mysterious  or  sacred  dwelling — that  is  to  say,  "the 
Dwelling  of  the  Great  Spirit."  Within  it  is  a  lake, 
which  "extends  to  an  unsearchable  distance;  for  the 
darkness  of  the  cave  prevents  all  attempts  to  acquire  a 
knowledge  of  it."  The  walls  are  covered  with  many 
Indian  hieroglyphics,  which  seem  to  be  very  ancient, 
for  time  had  nearly  covered  them  with  moss.  The 
Falls  of  St.  Anthony  greatly  impressed  Carver,  as  they 
did  the  young  Indian  in  his  company. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  river  St.  Francis,  Carver  says, 
"I  observed  here  many  deer  and  carraboes — a  record 
for  the  caribou  unusually  far  south  for  the  mid  conti- 
nent— some  elk,  with  abundance  of  beavers,  otters  and 
other  furs.  Not  far  above  this,  to  the  northeast,  are  a 


64  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

number  of  small  lakes  called  the  Thousand  Lakes; 
the  parts  about  which  though  but  little  frequented, 
are  the  best  within  many  miles  for  hunting,  as  the 
hunter  never  fails  of  returning  loaded  beyond  his  ex- 
pectations." 

Above  the  St.  Francis  River,  the  Mississippi  was  new 
ground,  for  Hennepin,  the  river's  first  explorer,  had  not 
passed  up  it  farther  than  the  St.  Francis,  and  Carver 
remarks  that,  "As  this  river  is  not  navigable  from  sea 
for  vessels  of  any  considerable  burthen,  much  higher 
up  than  the  forks  of  the  Ohio,  and  even  that  is  accom- 
plished with  great  difficulty,  owing  to  the  rapidity  of 
the  current,  and  the  windings  of  the  river,  those  settle- 
ments which  may  be  made  on  the  interior  branches 
of  it  must  be  indisputably  secure  from  the  attacks  of 
any  maritime  power.  But  at  the  same  time  the  settlers 
will  have  the  advantage  of  being  able  to  convey  their 
produce  to  the  sea-ports  with  great  facility,  the  current 
of  the  river,  from  its  source  to  its  entrance  into  the 
Gulph  of  Mexico,  being  extremely  favorable  for  doing 
this  in  small  craft.  This  might  also  in  time  be  facili- 
tated by  canals  or  shorter  cuts;  and  a  communication 
opened  by  water  with  New  York,  Canada,  etc.,  by 
way  of  the  lakes." 

Returning  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  St.  Pierre,  now 
the  Minnesota  River,  Carver  ascended  this  about  two 
hundred  miles,  to  the  country  of  the  Naudowessie  of  the 
Plains.  The  northern  branch  of  the  river  St.  Pierre 
rises,  he  says,  from  a  number  of  lakes  near  the  Shining 
Mountains;  and  it  is  from  some  of  these  also  that  a 


Jonathan  Carver  65 

capital  branch  of  the  river  Bourbon — the  York,  now 
Nelson  River — which  runs  into  Hudson's  Bay,  has 
its  sources.  All  this  geography  comes  from  the  ac- 
counts of  Indians,  and  is  clearly  misunderstood  as  to 
distance  and  location,  for  Carver  says,  also,  that  the 
river  Messorie,  which  enters  the  Mississippi  far  to  the 
southward,  also  takes  its  rise  at  the  head  of  the  river 
St.  Pierre.  His  distances  were  very  far  from  right,  for 
he  makes  the  St.  Lawrence,  the  Mississippi,  the  river 
Bourbon,  and  the  Oregon,  or  River  of  the  West  (Co- 
lumbia), head  all  together  in  these  high  mountains. 

At  the  great  Sioux  camp,  which  he  came  to  on  this 
river,  and  which  he  estimated  to  contain  a  thousand 
people,  most  of  whom  had  never  seen  a  white  man,  he 
was  most  hospitably  received.  He  spent  the  winter 
with  them,  studying  their  language,  acquiring  so  far  as 
possible  a  knowledge  of  the  geography  of  the  country, 
and  at  last,  with  a  considerable  portion  of  the  camp, 
returning  down  the  river  to  the  Great  Cave,  and  to  the 
burial  ground  which  lay  near  it.  Before  parting  with 
the  Sioux  he  held  a  council  with  them,  at  which  long 
speeches  were  made  by  both  Englishman  and  Indians, 
and  finally  Carver  left  them  to  return  to  La  Prairie  du 
Chien,  where  there  were  some  traders  from  whom  he 
purchased  goods  for  his  farther  journey. 

Among  the  places  now  well  known  which  Carver 
visited,  was  what  he  calls  the  Red  Mountain,  from 
which  the  Indians  get  a  sort  of  red  stone  out  of  which 
they  hew  the  bowls  of  their  pipes.  This  is,  no  doubt, 
the  pipestone  quarry,  described  by  Catlin,  and  then 


66  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

owned  by  the  Sioux  Indians,  which  has  been  purchased 
by  the  government  as  a  park.  Carver  says,  also,  that 
in  some  of  these  parts  is  found  a  black,  hard  clay,  or 
rather  stone,  of  which,  the  Indians  make  their  family 
utensils. 

Carver  was  much  impressed  by  the  beauties  of  the 
country  through  which  the  river  St.  Pierre  [Minnesota 
River]  flowed;  of  which  he  says:  "Wild  rice  grows 
here  in  great  abundance;  and  every  part  is  filled  with 
trees,  bending  under  their  loads  of  fruit,  such  as  plums, 
grapes,  and  apples;  the  meadows  are  covered  with 
hops,  and  many  sorts  of  vegetables;  whilst  the  ground 
is  stored  with  useful  roots,  with  angelica,  spikenard, 
and  ground-nuts  as  large  as  hen's  eggs.  At  a  little  dis- 
tance from  the  sides  of  the  river  are  eminences,  from 
which  you  have  views  that  cannot  be  exceeded  even  by 
the  most  beautiful  of  those  I  have  already  described; 
amidst  these  are  delightful  groves,  and  such  amazing 
quantities  of  maples,  that  they  would  produce  sugar 
sufficient  for  any  number  of  inhabitants." 

Carver  at  length  reached  La  Prairie  du  Chien,  and 
after  attending  to  various  matters  there,  returned  up 
the  Mississippi  to  the  place  where  the  Chippewa  River 
enters  it,  a  little  below  Lake  Pepin.  Here  he  engaged 
an  Indian  pilot,  and  instructed  him  to  steer  toward  the 
Ottowaw  Lakes,  which  lie  near  the  head  of  that  river. 
About  thirty  miles  from  the  mouth,  Carver  took  the 
easternmost  of  the  two  branches  and  passed  along 
through  the  wide,  gently  flowing  stream.  "The  coun- 
try adjoining  to  the  river,"  he  says,  "for  about  sixty 


Jonathan  Carver  67 

miles,  is  very  level,  and  on  its  banks  lie  fine  meadows, 
where  larger  droves  of  buffaloes  and  elks  were  feeding, 
than  I  had  observed  in  any  other  part  of  my  travels. 
The  track  between  the  two  branches  of  this  river  is 
termed  the  Road  of  War  between  the  Chipeway  and 
Naudowessie  Indians."  Near  the  head  of  the  stream 
he  came  upon  a  Chippewa  town,  the  houses  built  after 
the  Indian  manner,  and  having  neat  plantations  behind 
them.  He  then  carried  over  to  the  head  of  the  river 
St.  Croix,  descended  one  of  the  branches,  and  then  as- 
cended another;  and  on  both  streams  he  discovered 
several  mines  of  virgin  copper.  Then  carrying  across 
a  height  of  land  and  descending  another  stream,  he 
found  himself  on  Lake  Superior,  and  coasted  along  its 
western  shores  until  he  reached  the  Grand  Portage, 
between  Lake  Superior  and  Lac  la  Pluie,  or  Rainy 
Lake. 

Here  were  met  a  large  party  of  Killistinoe  and  Assi- 
nipoil  Indians,  "with  their  respective  kings  and  their 
families."  They  had  come  to  this  place  to  meet  the 
traders  from  the  east,  who  were  accustomed  to  make 
this  their  road  to  the  north-west.  From  these  Indians 
Carver  received  considerable  geographical  information 
about  the  country  to  the  westward,  much  of  which, 
however,  is  too  vague  to  be  very  valuable.  Many  of 
the  great  lakes  to  the  westward  were  mentioned  and 
described,  and  some  of  them  are  readily  recognized. 
Such  are  Lake  Winnepeek,  Lac  du  Bois,  and  Lac  la 
Pluye,  or  Rainy  Lake.  Of  the  country  about  Lake 
Bourbon  and  Lake  Winnepeek  it  was  said  that  there 


68  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

were  found  some  buffalo  of  small  size,  which  were  fat 
and  good  in  the  latter  part  of  the  summer.  This  differ- 
ence in  size  Carver  attributes  to  their  northerly  situation; 
"just  as  the  black  cattle  of  the  northern  parts  of  Great 
Britain  differ  from  English  oxen."  But  it  is  quite  prob- 
able that  these  "small  buffalo"  may  have  been  musk- 
oxen,  and  their  location  wrong. 

"These  Indians  informed  me  that  to  the  northwest 
of  Lake  Winnepeek  lies  another  whose  circumference 
vastly  exceeded  any  they  had  given  me  an  account  of. 
They  describe  it  as  much  larger  than  Lake  Superior. 
But  as  it  appears  to  be  so  far  to  the  northwest,  I  should 
imagine  that  it  was  not  a  lake,  but  rather  the  Archi- 
pelago or  broken  waters  that  form  the  communication 
between  Hudson's  Bay  and  the  northern  parts  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean." 

As  already  stated,  Carver  believed  that  the  head- 
waters of  the  Missouri  were  not  far  from  the  headwaters 
of  his  St.  Pierre  River.  The  Indians  told  him  that  they 
frequently  crossed  over  from  the  head  of  that  stream 
to  the  Missouri.  The  nearest  water  to  the  head  of  the 
Minnesota  River  is  Big  Sioux  River  in  Dakota,  which 
is,  in  fact,  a  tributary  of  the  Missouri. 

The  ethnological  information  there  gathered  was  as 
little  trustworthy  as  that  concerning  the  geography  of 
the  more  distant  parts.  For  example,  it  is  said  that  in 
the  country  belonging  to  the  Pawnees,  and  the  Pawnaw- 
nees,  nations  inhabiting  some  branches  of  the  Messorie 
River,  mandrakes  are  frequently  found,  a  species  of  root 
resembling  human  beings  of  both  sexes;  and  that  these 


Jonathan  Carver  69 

are  more  perfect  than  such  as  are  discovered  about  the 
Nile  in  Nether-Ethiopia. 

"A  little  to  the  northwest  of  the  heads  of  the  Messo- 
rie  and  the  St.  Pierre,  the  Indians  further  told  me,  that 
there  was  a  nation  rather  smaller  and  whiter  than  the 
neighboring  tribes,  who  cultivate  the  ground,  and  (as 
far  as  I  could  gather  from  their  expressions),  in  some 
measure,  the  arts.  To  this  account  they  added  that 
some  of  the  nations  who  inhabit  those  parts  that  lie  to 
the  west  of  the  Shining  Mountains,  have  gold  so  plenty 
among  them  that  they  make  their  most  common  utensils 
of  it.  These  mountains  (which  I  shall  describe  more 
particularly  hereafter)  divide  the  waters  that  fall  into 
the  South  Sea  from  those  that  run  into  the  Atlantic. 

"The  people  dwelling  near  them  are  supposed  to  be 
some  of  the  different  tribes  that  were  tributary  to  the 
Mexican  kings,  and  who  fled  from  their  native  coun- 
try to  seek  an  asylum  in  these  parts,  about  the  time  of 
the  conquest  of  Mexico  by  the  Spaniards,  more  than 
two  centuries  ago."  After  a  brief  discussion  of  the  rea- 
sons which  may  have  led  these  supposed  immigrants, 
and  the  Winnebagoes  to  leave  their  southern  home  for 
the  north,  Carver  speaks  at  some  length  of  the  Shining 
or  Rocky  Mountains,  just  mentioned. 

"That  range  of  mountains,  of  which  the  Shining 
Mountains  are  a  part,  begin  at  Mexico,  and  continuing 
northward  on  the  back  or  at  the  east  of  California,  sep- 
arate the  waters  of  those  numerous  rivers  that  fall 
either  into  the  Gulph  of  Mexico  or  the  Gulph  of  Cali- 
fornia. From  thence  continuing  their  course  still  north- 


jo  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

ward,  between  the  sources  of  the  Mississippi  and  the 
rivers  that  run  into  the  South  Sea,  they  appear  to  end 
in  about  forty-seven  or  forty-eight  degrees  of  north 
latitude;  where  a  number  of  rivers  arise,  and  empty 
themselves  either  into  the  South  Sea,  into  Hudson's 
Bay,  or  into  the  waters  that  communicate  between  these 
two  seas. 

"Among  these  mountains,  those  that  lie  to  the  west 
of  the  river  St.  Pierre  are  called  the  Shining  Mountains, 
from  an  infinite  number  of  crystal  stones,  of  an  amaz- 
ing size,  with  which  they  are  covered,  and  which,  when 
the  sun  shines  full  upon  them,  sparkle  so  as  to  be  seen 
at  a  very  great  distance. 

"This  extraordinary  range  of  mountains  is  calculated 
to  be  more  than  three  thousand  miles  in  length,  with- 
out any  very  considerable  intervals,  which  I  believe 
surpasses  anything  of  the  kind  in  the  other  quarters  of 
the  globe.  Probably  in  future  ages  they  may  be  found 
to  contain  more  riches  in  their  bowels  than  those  of 
Indostan  and  Malabar,  or  that  are  produced  on  the 
Golden  Coast  of  Guinea;  nor  will  I  except  even  the 
Peruvian  mines.  To  the  west  of  these  mountains, 
when  explored  by  future  Columbuses  or  Raleighs,  may 
be  found  other  lakes,  rivers  and  countries,  full  fraught 
with  all  the  necessaries  or  luxuries  of  life;  and  where 
future  generations  may  find  an  asylum,  whether  driven 
from  their  country  by  the  ravages  of  lawless  tyrants, 
or  by  religious  persecutions,  or  reluctantly  leaving  it  to 
remedy  the  inconveniences  arising  from  a  superabun- 
dant increase  of  inhabitants;  whether,  I  say,  impelled 


Jonathan  Carver  71 

by  these,  or  allured  by  hopes  of  commercial  advantages, 
there  is  little  doubt  but  their  expectations  will  be  fully 
gratified  by  these  rich  and  unexhausted  climes." 

The  pages  which  Carver  devotes  to  a  description  of 
the  unknown  country  to  the  west,  are  inserted  in  his 
account  while  he  was  sojourning  with  these  Crees  and 
Assiniboines,  at  the  Grand  Portage.  There  were  more 
than  three  hundred  people  in  the  camp,  and  as  they 
waited  for  the  traders  who  did  not  come,  their  stock  of 
provisions  began  to  run  low;  and  the  coming  of  the 
traders  was  awaited  with  an  impatience  that  increased 
day  by  day. 

It  was  during  this  period  of  waiting  that  Carver  had 
an  opportunity  to  witness  one  of  those  prophecies  by  a 
priest,  or  medicine  man,  which  even  in  modern  times 
have  puzzled  many  cool  and  clear  heads;  and  though 
the  story  of  what  he  saw  is  long,  yet  it  is  worth  while 
to  give  his  account  of  it  in  full.  It  appears  that  one 
day  while  all  were  expressing  their  hopes  for  the  early 
arrival  of  the  traders,  and  were  sitting  on  the  hill  look- 
ing over  the  lake,  in  the  hope  that  they  might  be  seen, 
the  chief  priest  of  the  Crees  informed  those  who  were 
with  him  that  he  would  endeavor  to  obtain  information 
from  the  Great  Spirit  as  to  when  the  traders  would 
arrive.  Carver  gave  little  heed  to  the  suggestion,  sup- 
posing it  to  be  merely  a  juggling  trick;  but  the  chief 
of  the  tribe  advised  him  that  the  priest  had  made  this 
offer  chiefly  for  the  purpose  of  allaying  his  anxiety,  and 
at  the  same  time  to  convince  Carver  of  his  ability  to 
talk  with  the  Great  Spirit. 


72  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

"The  following  evening  was  fixed  upon  for  this 
spiritual  conference.  When  everything  had  been  prop- 
erly prepared,  the  king  came  to  me  and  led  me  to  a 
capacious  tent,  the  covering  of  which  was  drawn  up, 
so  as  to  render  what  was  transacting  within  visible 
to  those  who  stood  without.  We  found  the  tent  sur- 
rounded by  a  great  number  of  the  Indians,  but  we 
readily  gained  admission,  and  seated  ourselves  on  skins 
laid  on  the  ground  for  that  purpose. 

"In  the  centre  I  observed  that  there  was  a  place  of 
an  oblong  shape,  which  was  composed  of  stakes  stuck 
in  the  ground,  with  intervals  between,  so  as  to  form 
a  kind  of  chest  or  coffin,  large  enough  to  contain  the 
body  of  a  man.  These  were  of  a  middle  size,  and 
placed  at  such  a  distance  from  each  other,  that  what- 
ever lay  within  them  was  readily  to  be  discerned.  The 
tent  was  perfectly  illuminated  by  a  great  number  of 
torches  made  of  splinters  cut  from  the  pine  or  birch 
tree,  which  the  Indians  held  in  their  hands. 

"In  a  few  minutes  the  priest  entered;  when  an  amaz- 
ing large  elk's  skin  being  spread  on  the  ground,  just 
at  my  feet,  he  laid  himself  down  upon  it,  after  having 
stript  himself  of  every  garment  except  that  which  he 
wore  close  about  his  middle.  Being  now  prostrate 
upon  his  back,  he  first  laid  hold  of  one  side  of  the  skin, 
and  folded  it  over  him,  and  then  the  other;  leaving 
only  his  head  uncovered.  This  was  no  sooner  done, 
than  two  of  the  young  men  who  stood  by  took  about 
forty  yards  of  strong  cord,  made  also  of  an  elk's  hide, 
and  rolled  it  tight  around  his  body,  so  that  he  was 


Jonathan  Carver  73 

completely  swathed  within  the  skin.  Being  thus  bound 
up  like  an  Egyptian  mummy,  one  took  him  by  the 
heels  and  the  other  by  the  head,  and  lifted  him  over  the 
pales  into  the  inclosure.  I  could  now  also  discern  him 
as  plain  as  I  had  hitherto  done,  and  I  took  care  not  to 
turn  my  eyes  a  moment  from  the  object  before  me,  that 
I  might  the  more  readily  detect  the  artifice,  for  such  I 
doubted  not  but  that  it  would  turn  out  to  be. 

"The  priest  had  not  lain  in  this  situation  more  than 
a  few  seconds  when  he  began  to  mutter.  This  he  con- 
tinued to  do  for  some  time,  and  then  by  degrees  grew 
louder  and  louder,  till  at  length  he  spoke  articulately; 
however,  what  he  uttered  was  in  such  a  mixed  jargon 
of  the  Chippeway,  Ottawaw,  and  Killistinoe  languages, 
that  I  could  understand  but  very  little  of  it.  Having 
continued  in  this  tone  for  a  considerable  while  he  at 
last  exerted  his  voice  to  its  utmost  pitch,  sometimes  rav- 
ing and  sometimes  praying,  till  he  had  worked  himself 
into  such  an  agitation  that  he  foamed  at  his  mouth. 

"After  having  remained  near  three-quarters  of  an 
hour  in  the  place  and  continued  his  vociferation  with 
unabated  vigor,  he  seemed  to  be  quite  exhausted,  and 
remained  speechless.  But  in  an  instant  he  sprung  to 
his  feet,  notwithstanding  at  the  time  he  was  put  in  it 
appeared  impossible  for  him  to  move  either  his  legs  or 
arms,  and  shaking  off  his  covering,  as  quick  as  if  the 
bands  with  which  it  had  been  bound  were  burned 
asunder,  he  began  to  address  those  who  stood  around, 
in  a  firm  and  audible  voice.  'My  Brothers/  said  he, 
'the  Great  Spirit  has  deigned  to  hold  a  talk  with  his 


74  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

servant  at  my  earnest  request.  He  has  not,  indeed, 
told  me  when  the  persons  we  expect  will  be  here,  but 
to-morrow,  soon  after  the  sun  has  reached  his  highest 
point  in  the  heavens,  a  canoe  will  arrive,  and  the  people 
in  that  will  inform  us  when  the  traders  will  come.' 
Having  said  this,  he  stepped  out  of  the  inclosure,  and 
after  he  had  put  on  his  robes,  dismissed  the  assembly. 
I  own  I  was  greatly  astonished  at  what  I  had  seen,  but 
as  I  observed  that  every  eye  in  the  company  was  fixed 
on  me  with  a  view  to  discover  my  sentiments,  I  carefully 
concealed  every  emotion. 

"The  next  day  the  sun  shone  bright,  and  long  be- 
fore noon  all  the  Indians  were  gathered  together  on  the 
eminence  that  overlooked  the  lake.  The  old  king  came 
to  me  and  asked  me  whether  I  had  so  much  confidence 
in  what  the  priest  had  foretold  as  to  join  his  people  on 
the  hill  and  wait  for  the  completion  of  it  ?  I  told  him 
that  I  was  at  a  loss  what  opinion  to  form  of  the  pre- 
diction, but  that  I  would  readily  attend  him.  On  this 
we  walked  together  to  the  place  where  the  others  were 
assembled.  Every  eye  was  again  fixed  by  turns  on  me 
and  on  the  lake;  when  just  as  the  sun  had  reached  his 
zenith,  agreeable  to  what  the  priest  had  foretold,  a 
canoe  came  round  a  point  of  land  about  a  league  dis- 
tant. The  Indians  no  sooner  beheld  it  than  they  sent 
up  an  universal  shout,  and  by  their  looks  seemed  to 
triumph  in  the  interest  their  priest  thus  evidently  had 
with  the  Great  Spirit. 

"In  less  than  an  hour  the  canoe  reached  the  shore, 
when  I  attended  the  king  and  chiefs  to  receive  those 


Jonathan  Carver  75 

who  were  on  board.  As  soon  as  the  men  were  landed, 
we  walked  all  together  to  the  king's  tent,  where  ac- 
cording to  their  invariable  custom  we  began  to  smoke; 
and  this  we  did,  notwithstanding  our  impatience  to 
know  the  tidings  they  brought,  without  asking  any 
questions;  for  the  Indians  are  the  most  deliberate  peo- 
ple in  the  world.  However,  after  some  trivial  conver- 
sation, the  king  inquired  of  them  whether  they  had 
seen  anything  of  the  traders  ?  The  men  replied  that 
they  had  parted  from  them  a  few  days  before,  and  that 
they  proposed  being  here  the  second  day  from  the  pres- 
ent. They  accordingly  arrived  at  that  time,  greatly  to 
our  satisfaction,  but  more  particularly  to  that  of  the 
Indians,  who  found  by  this  event  the  importance  both 
of  their  priest  and  of  their  nation  greatly  augmented  in 
the  sight  of  a  stranger. 

"This  story  I  acknowledge  appears  to  carry  with  it 
marks  of  great  credulity  in  the  relator.  But  no  one  is 
less  tinctured  with  that  weakness  than  myself.  The 
circumstances  of  it  I  own  are  of  a  very  extraordinary 
nature;  however,  as  I  can  vouch  for  their  being  free 
from  either  exaggeration  or  misrepresentation,  being 
myself  a  cool  and  dispassionate  observer  of  them  all,  I 
thought  it  necessary  to  give  them  to  the  public.  And 
this  I  do,  without  wishing  to  mislead  the  judgment  of 
my  readers,  or  to  make  any  superstitious  impressions 
on  their  minds,  but  leaving  them  to  draw  from  it  what 
conclusions  they  please." 

The  arrival  of  the  traders,  so  anxiously  looked  for, 
did  not  greatly  help  Carver,  who  found  that  he  could 


76  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

not  procure  from  them  the  goods  that  he  desired, 
and  shortly  afterward  he  proceeded  eastward,  having 
coasted  around  the  north  and  east  shores  of  Lake  Su- 
perior. He  describes  the  lake,  and  the  various  peoples 
who  inhabit  its  borders,  most  of  whom  are  Chippewas. 
During  his  trip,  he  found  native  copper  on  a  stream 
running  into  the  lake  on  the  south,  and  describes  how 
large  a  trade  might  be  made  in  this  metal,  which,  as  he 
says,  "costs  nothing  on  the  spot,  and  requires  but  little 
expense  to  get  it  on  board;  could  be  conveyed  in  boats 
or  canoes  through  the  Falls  of  St.  Marie  to  the  Isle  of 
St.  Joseph,  which  lies  at  the  bottom  of  the  straits  near 
the  entrance  into  Lake  Huron;  from  thence  it  might  be 
put  on  board  large  vessels,  and  in  them  transported 
across  that  lake  to  the  Falls  of  Niagara;  there  being 
carried  by  land  across  the  Portage,  it  might  be  con- 
veyed without  much  more  obstruction  to  Quebec.  The 
cheapness  and  ease  with  which  any  quantity  of  it  may 
be  procured  will  make  up  for  the  length  of  way  that 
it  is  necessary  to  transport  it  before  it  reaches  the  sea- 
coast,  and  enable  the  proprietors  to  send  it  to  foreign 
markets  on  as  good  terms  as  it  can  be  exported  from 
other  countries."  Stockholders  in  the  Calumet  and 
Hecla  and  in  other  Lake  Superior  copper  concerns 
are  requested  to  take  notice. 

The  fishing  of  Lake  Superior  impressed  Carver  as 
much  as  it  has  other  travellers.  Of  these  fish  he  says: 
"The  principal  and  best  are  the  trout  and  sturgeon, 
which  may  be  caught  at  almost  any  season  in  the  great- 
est abundance.  The  trout  in  general  weigh  about 


Jonathan  Carver  77 

twelve  pounds;  but  some  are  caught  that  exceed  fifty. 
Besides  these,  a  species  of  white  fish  is  taken  in  great 
quantities  here,  that  resemble  a  shad  in  their  shape, 
but  they  are  rather  thicker,  and  less  bony;  they  weigh 
about  four  pounds  each,  and  are  of  a  delicious  taste. 
The  best  way  of  catching  these  fish  is  with  a  net;  but 
the  trout  may  be  taken  at  all  times  with  the  hook. 
There  are  likewise  many  sorts  of  smaller  fish  in  great 
plenty  here,  and  which  may  be  taken  with  ease;  among 
these  is  a  sort  resembling  a  herring,  which  are  generally 
made  use  of  as  a  bait  for  the  trout."  The  foot  of  the 
Sault  Ste.  Marie,  which  Carver  calls  the  Falls  of  St. 
Marie,  is  noted  by  him  as  "a  most  commodious  station 
for  catching  the  fish,  which  are  to  be  found  there  in  im- 
mense quantities.  Persons  standing  on  the  rocks  which 
lie  adjacent  to  it  may  take  with  dipping  nets,  about  the 
months  of  September  and  October,  the  white  fish  be- 
forementioned;  at  that  season,  together  with  several 
other  species,  they  crowd  up  to  this  spot  in  such  amaz- 
ing shoals  that  enough  may  be  taken  to  supply,  when 
properly  cured,  thousands  of  inhabitants  throughout 
the  year." 

Passing  now  through  the  Straits  into  Lake  Huron, 
this  body  of  water  is  described,  and  attention  called  to 
the  rise  and  fall  of  the  waters,  which  Carver  says  is  not 
diurnal,  but  occurs  in  periods  of  seven  years  and  a  half. 
Still  going  eastward,  the  town  of  Detroit  was  reached, 
and  something  given  of  its  history  in  recent  years,  and 
especially  of  the  conspiracy  of  Pontiac,  and  the  death 
of  that  chief. 


78  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

In  Lake  Erie,  Carver  noticed  the  islands  near  the 
west  end,  so  infested  with  rattlesnakes  that  it  is  very 
dangerous  to  land  on  them;  and  also  the  great  num- 
ber of  water-snakes,  which  lie  in  the  sun  on  the  leaves 
of  the  large  pond-lilies  floating  on  the  water. 

"The  most  remarkable  of  the  different  species  that 
infest  this  lake  is  the  hissing-snake  [the  innocent  Heter- 
odon  platyrhinos],  which  is  of  the  small,  speckled 
kind,  and  about  eighteen  inches  long.  When  anything 
approaches,  it  flattens  itself  in  a  moment,  and  its  spots, 
which  are  of  varied  dyes,  become  visibly  brighter  through 
rage;  at  the  same  time  it  blows  from  its  mouth  with 
great  force  a  subtile  wind,  that  is  reported  to  be  of  a 
nauseous  smell;  and  if  drawn  in  with  the  breath  of 
the  unwary  traveller,  will  infallibly  bring  on  a  decline, 
that  in  a  few  months  must  prove  mortal,  there  being 
no  remedy  yet  discovered  which  can  counteract  its  bane- 
ful influence."  Still  proceeding  eastward,  the  author 
continues  to  describe  the  country,  mentioning  many 
well-known  lakes,  and  the  peoples  about  them. 

This  concludes  Carver's  journey,  but  by  no  means 
his  book,  of  which  the  remaining  two-thirds  are  devoted 
to  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  Indians,  with  a 
chapter  giving  vocabularies  of  several  languages,  and 
other  chapters  treating  of  the  fauna  and  flora  of  the 
vast  region  passed  over.  Like  most  writers  about  the 
Indians,  he  discusses  their  origin,  quoting  a  great  num- 
ber of  authors,  from  the  discovery  of  America  to  the 
time  of  his  writing;  the  last  of  these,  Adair,  who,  as  is 
well  known,  devoted  a  very  considerable  work  to  prov- 


Jonathan  Carver  79 

ing  to  his  own  satisfaction  that  the  Indians  were  the 
lost  tribes  of  Israel.  Carver  announces  that  he  is  of  the 
opinion  that  "the  North  American  continent  received  its 
first  inhabitants  from  the  islands  which  lie  between  the 
extremities  of  Asia  and  America,  viz.,  Japon,  Yeso,  or 
Jedso,  Gama's  Land,  Behring's  Isle,  with  many  others"; 
to  which  he  adds  a  cluster  of  islands  that  reach  as  far 
as  Siberia,  which  may  possibly  be  the  Aleutian  Islands. 
To  support  this  conclusion,  he  advances  many  cogent 
arguments,  and  announces  that  "that  great  and  learned 
historian  Doctor  Robinson,"  is  of  the  same  opinion  with 
him. 

Concerning  the  persons  and  dress  of  the  Indians, 
Carver  has  much  to  say.  He  notices  many  things  still 
well  known,  and  speaks  of  certain  others  that  are  so  long 
obsolete  as  to  be  almost  forgotten.  Thus  he  declares 
that:  "It  is  also  a  common  custom  among  them  to 
bore  their  noses,  and  wear  in  them  pendants  of  different 
sorts.  I  observed  that  sea-shells  were  much  worn  by 
those  of  the  interior  parts,  and  reckoned  very  orna- 
mental; but  how  they  procured  them  I  could  not  learn: 
probably  by  their  trafHck  with  other  nations  nearer  the 
sea."  Another  custom  noted,  which  has  long  been 
obsolete,  but  is  still  remembered  by  the  most  ancient 
persons  of  some  of  the  Western  tribes,  is  the  woman's 
fashion  of  dressing  the  hair.  To  the  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, he  says,  the  Sioux  and  Assiniboine  women  "di- 
vide their  hair  in  the  middle  of  the  head,  and  form 
it  into  two  rolls,  one  against  each  ear.  These  rolls  are 
about  three  inches  long,  and  as  large  as  their  wrists. 


8o  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

They  hang  in  a  perpendicular  attitude  at  the  front 
of  each  ear,  and  descend  as  far  as  the  lower  part 
of  it." 

The  characteristics  of  the  Indians,  their  method  of 
reckoning  time,  their  government,  division  into  tribes, 
their  chiefs,  food,  dances,  and  many  other  matters,  are 
described  at  great  length;  as  is  also  their  hunting,  their 
manner  of  making  war,  and,  incidentally,  the  defeat  of 
Braddock,  and  the  massacre  of  the  people  under  Col. 
Monroe,  at  Fort  William  Henry.  Carver  himself  ap- 
pears to  have  been  with  the  prisoners,  of  whom  so 
many  were  massacred  on  that  unhappy  day;  but  he 
himself  at  length  reached  Fort  Edward  in  safety.  He 
tells  something,  also,  of  the  way  in  which  the  Indians 
tortured  their  captives,  and  speaks  of  the  Illinois  Ind- 
ian brought  into  the  town  of  Ottigaumies,  who  was 
bound  to  a  tree  while  all  the  small  boys  in  the  village 
were  permitted  to  amuse  themselves  by  shooting  ar- 
rows at  the  victim.  As  none  of  the  boys  were  more 
than  twelve  years  old,  and  they  were  placed  at  a  con- 
siderable distance,  their  arrows  did  little  more  than 
pierce  the  skin;  so  that  the  prisoner  stood  for  more 
than  two  days  pierced  with  these  arrows.  During  all 
this  time  he  sung  his  warlike  exploits,  told  how  much 
injury  he  had  inflicted  on  his  enemies,  and  endeavored 
with  his  last  gasp  to  incite  his  tormentors  to  greater 
efforts,  in  order  that  he  might  give  still  greater  proofs 
of  his  fortitude. 

Following  the  chapter  on  war  comes  one  on  their 
methods  of  making  peace;  then  one  on  games,  mar- 


Jonathan  Carver  81 

riage,  religion,  and  character.  The  last  hundred  pages 
of  the  volume  treats  "Of  the  Beasts,  Birds,  Fishes, 
Reptiles,  and  Insects,  which  are  found  in  the  interior 
parts  of  North  America."  Of  the  larger  mammals  a 
catalogue  is  given  from  which  two  or  three  descriptions 
may  be  taken. 

"The  Carrabou.  This  beast  is  not  near  so  tall  as 
the  moose,  however,  it  is  something  like  it  in  shape, 
only  rather  more  heavy,  and  inclining  to  the  form  of 
an  ass.  The  horns  of  it  are  not  flat  as  those  of  an  elk 
are,  but  round  like  those  of  the  deer;  they  also  meet 
nearer  together  at  the  extremities,  and  bend  more  over 
the  face  than  either  those  of  the  elk  or  moose.  It  par- 
takes of  the  swiftness  of  the  deer,  and  is  with  difficulty 
overtaken  by  its  pursuers.  The  flesh  of  it  likewise  is 
equally  as  good,  the  tongue  particularly  is  in  high 
esteem.  The  skin  being  smooth  and  free  from  veins  is 
as  valuable  as  shamoy." 

"The  Carcajou.  This  creature,  which  is  of  the  cat 
kind,  is  a  terrible  enemy  to  the  preceding  four  species 
of  beasts.  He  either  comes  upon  them  from  some  con- 
cealment unperceived,  or  climbs  up  into  a  tree,  and 
taking  his  station  on  some  of  the  branches,  waits  till 
one  of  them,  driven  by  an  extreme  of  heat  or  cold,  takes 
shelter  under  it;  when  he  fastens  upon  his  neck,  and 
opening  the  jugular  vein,  soon  brings  his  prey  to  the 
ground.  This  he  is  enabled  to  do  by  his  long  tail,  with 
which  he  encircles  the  body  of  his  adversary;  and  the 
only  means  they  have  to  shun  their  fate  is  by  flying 
immediately  to  the  water,  by  this  method,  as  the  car- 


82  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

cajou  has  a  great  dislike  to  that  element,  he  is  some- 
times got  rid  of  before  he  can  effect  his  purpose/' 

There  is  a  very  long  description  of  the  beaver,  and 
its  extraordinary  intelligence. 

The  list  of  birds,  too,  is  a  long  one;  but  that  of  the 
fishes  is  very  short.  To  snakes,  as  might  be  imag- 
ined, much  space  is  given;  but  to  insects  very  little. 
Carver  describes  the  lightning-bug,  but  adds:  "Not- 
withstanding this  effulgent  appearance,  these  insects  are 
perfectly  harmless;  you  may  permit  them  to  crawl  upon 
your  hand,  when  five  or  six,  if  they  freely  exhibit  their 
glow  together,  will  enable  you  to  read  almost  the  finest 
print." 

Trees,  plants,  and  shrubs  are  all  described,  and 
among  them  the  wild  rice,  of  which  Carver  says :  "  In 
future  periods  it  will  be  of  great  service  to  the  infant 
colonies,  as  it  will  afford  them  a  present  support  until 
in  the  course  of  cultivation  other  supplies  may  be  pro- 
duced; whereas  in  those  realms  which  are  not  furnished 
with  this  bounteous  gift  of  nature,  even  if  the  climate 
is  temperate  and  the  soil  good,  the  first  settlers  are  often 
exposed  to  great  hardships  from  the  want  of  an  imme- 
diate resource  for  necessary  food." 

In  his  appendix,  Carver  sums  up  conclusions  drawn 
from  his  extensive  travels  in,  and  wide  knowledge  of, 
the  interior  of  the  continent.  He  has  faith  in  the  dis- 
covery of  a  north-west  passage,  and  believes  that  Hud- 
son's Bay  would  be  a  safe  retreat  for  the  adventurous 
navigators  who  might  try,  at  first  unsuccessfully,  a 
north-west  passage.  He  even  names  a  certain  Rich- 


Jonathan  Carver  83 

ard  Whitworth,  gentleman,  of  England,  who  had  pro- 
posed pursuing  nearly  the  same  route  as  Carver,  and 
having  built  a  fort  at  Lake  Pepin,  to  have  proceeded  up 
the  river  St.  Pierre,  crossed  over  the  river  Messorie, 
till,  having  discovered  the  source  of  the  Oregon,  or  River 
of  the  West,  he  would  have  sailed  down  that  river  to 
the  place  where  it  is  said  to  empty  itself  near  the 
Straits  of  Annian.  Carver  was  to  have  accompanied 
this  Mr.  Whitworth  on  his  explorations,  and  many  of 
the  preparations  had  been  made  for  the  trip,  "when 
the  present  troubles  in  America  began,  which  put  a 
stop  to  an  enterprize  that  promised  to  be  of  incon- 
ceivable advantage  to  the  British  dominions." 

So  the  War  of  the  Revolution  put  an  end  to  Carver's 
Western  explorations. 


CHAPTER  V 
ALEXANDER  MACKENZIE 


OF  the  early  explorers  of  the  north  none  is  more 
celebrated  than  Alexander  Mackenzie,  the  first 
man  to  penetrate  from  the  interior  to  the  Frozen 
Ocean,  and  the  first  in  the  farther  north  to  cross  the 
continent.  Among  the  leaders  of  the  north-west  he  is 
pre-eminent  as  a  discoverer,  and  of  the  early  northmen 
his  name  is  the  most  often  mentioned.  His  journey- 
ings — that  to  the  Arctic  made  in  the  year  1789,  and  that 
across  the  continent  in  1792  and  1793 — are  told  of  in 
a  splendid  volume,  published  in  London  in  the  year 
1 80 1,  entitled,  Voyages  from  Montreal  and  the  River  St. 
Lawrence,  Through  the  Continent  of  North  America  to 
the  Frozen  and  Pacific  Oceans,  in  the  Tear  1789  and 
1793.  Its  publication  was  soon  followed  by  the  con- 
ferring of  knighthood  on  the  author. 

The  earliest  explorations  of  the  interior  of  this  con- 
tinent were  all  of  them  by  water.  By  water  the  first 
missionaries  pushed  their  way  up  the  St.  Lawrence 
and  through  the  Great  Lakes,  and  then  crossing  over 
by  short  portages  to  the  Mississippi,  journeyed  down 
that  great  highway  of  more  modern  times  until  they 

84 


ALEXANDER  MACKENZIE. 

From  Mackenzie's   Voyages  from  Montreal  Through   the  Continent  of  North 

America,  etc. 


Alexander  Mackenzie  85 

came  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Later,  missionaries  and 
explorers  and  traders,  still  from  Montreal,  followed  the 
water  trail  up  the  Great  Lakes  to  the  Grand  Portage, 
and  thence  pressed  westward  until  they  reached  Lake 
Winnipeg,  the  Saskatchewan,  and  all  that  broad  country 
which  lies  east  of  the  northern  Rocky  Mountains.  The 
frail  birch  canoe  carried  their  scanty  provisions  and 
their  goods  for  trade,  and  returned  laden  to  the  gun- 
wale with  rich  packages  of  furs.  Later  still,  when  the 
people  of  the  United  States  began  to  push  westward, 
it  was  down  the  Alleghany  and  the  Ohio — still  largely 
by  water — that  their  journeyings  were  conducted. 

Alexander  Mackenzie  was  a  fur  trader,  and  he  made 
his  way  westward,  by  the  usual  route,  to  the  Grand 
Portage,  Lake  Winnipeg,  then  up  the  Saskatchewan 
and  across  to  Fort  Chipewyan,  on  the  Lake  of  the  Hills 
— now  known  as  Athabaska  Lake.  Though  the  jour- 
ney was  long,  it  was  full  of  interest;  the  country  had 
been  seen  by  few  white  people,  it  abounded  in  life  of 
many  descriptions,  all  wild,  and  for  the  most  part  un- 
disturbed. He  reached  Fort  Chipewyan  with  ninety 
or  a  hundred  men,  and  without  any  provision  for  their 
sustenance;  but  the  lake  was  full  of  fish,  its  shores 
abounded  with  game.  The  autumn  fishing  was  suc- 
cessful, and  the  cold  during  the  winter  intense,  so  that 
fish  were  caught  in  great  numbers  and  frozen,  remain- 
ing good  until  spring.  During  the  spring  and  fall  vast 
flocks  of  wild  fowl  resorted  to  the  lakes,  and  immense 
numbers  were  killed,  so  that  for  short  terms  the  geese 
supported  the  life  of  the  traders. 


86  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

In  1783  and  1784  the  Northwest  Fur  Company  had 
been  established,  in  opposition  to  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company,  and  included  among  its  partners  many  of 
the  most  celebrated  traders  of  the  north.  Mackenzie 
had  for  five  years  been  employed  in  the  counting  house 
of  Messrs.  Gregory  and  McLeod,  and  was  admitted  a 
partner  in  the  Northwest  Fur  Company,  and  went  to 
the  Indian  country  in  1785.  How  enormous  the  trade 
that  this  company  carried  on  is  shown  by  a  list  of  the 
returns  for  a  single  year,  which  gives  106,000  beaver 
skins,  2,100  bear,  4,600  otter,  17,000  musquash,  32,000 
marten,  6,000  lynx,  600  wolverine,  1,650  fisher,  besides 
a  less  number  of  fox,  kitfox,  wolf,  elk,  raccoon  and  deer 
skins,  and  buffalo  robes.  Mackenzie  was  astronomer 
as  well  as  trader.  He  was  also  an  observer  who  con- 
sidered the  economic  possibilities  of  the  country,  its 
fauna  and  its  flora,  and  especially  the  game,  as  well 
as  the  human  inhabitants. 

Mackenzie  started  from  Fort  Chipewyan,  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Lake  of  the  Hills,  June  3,  1789,  in  a 
birch-bark  canoe.  His  crew  consisted  of  four  Cana- 
dians, a  German,  and  two  Indian  women.  An  Indian 
interpreter,  known  as  English  Chief,  and  his  two  wives 
journeyed  in  a  small  canoe,  while  two  young  Indians 
followed  in  a  third.  English  Chief  had  been  one  of 
the  followers  of  a  chief  who  was  with  Mr.  Hearne  on 
his  explorations  to  the  Coppermine  River.  A  fourth 
canoe,  in  charge  of  one  of  the  clerks  of  the  company, 
Mr.  Le  Roux,  accompanied  them,  carrying  a  load  of 
trade  goods  and  presents,  together  with  a  part  of  the 


Alexander  Mackenzie  87 

provisions  and  ammunition  of  the  expedition.  Their 
route  was  without  much  adventure  until  they  reached 
Slave  Lake,  still  covered  with  ice,  somewhat  melted 
near  the  shore.  The  gnats  and  mosquitoes  which  had 
troubled  them  during  the  first  few  days  that  they  had 
been  on  their  way,  here  left  them.  Mackenzie  says: 
"The  Indians  informed  me  that  at  a  very  small  dis- 
tance from  either  bank  of  the  river  are  very  extensive 
plains  frequented  by  large  herds  of  buffaloes :  while  the 
moose  and  reindeer  keep  in  the  woods  that  border  on 
it.  The  beavers,  which  are  in  great  numbers,  build  their 
habitations  in  small  lakes  and  rivers,  as  in  the  larger 
streams  the  ice  carries  everything  along  with  it  during 
the  spring.  The  mud  banks  in  the  river  are  covered 
with  wild  fowl,  and  we  this  morning  killed  two  swans, 
ten  geese,  and  one  beaver,  without  suffering  the  delay 
of  an  hour;  so  that  we  might  have  soon  filled  the  canoe 
with  them,  if  that  had  been  our  object."  That  same 
day  they  reached  the  house  erected  on  Slave  Lake  by 
Messrs.  Grant  and  Le  Roux  in  1786,  and  here  they 
stopped  and  pitched  their  tents,  as  it  seemed  likely  that 
the  ice  would  detain  them  for  some  time.  The  nets 
were  set  and  many  fish  were  caught.  Berries  were  al- 
ready ripe,  and  the  women  were  occupied  in  gathering 
them,  while  wild  fowl  were  breeding,  and  they  collected 
some  dozens  of  their  eggs.  On  Monday,  June  15,  the 
ice  broke  up  near  them,  and  cleared  a  passage  to  the 
islands  opposite ;  and  at  sunset  they  embarked  and 
crossed  to  them,  where  they  stopped  to  gum  their  canoes, 
and  the  next  day  set  out  again,  following  the  shores  of 


Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 


the  lake.  Ice  interrupted  their  passage  from  time  to 
time.  They  supplied  themselves  with  food  by  means 
of  their  nets. 

On  the  1 8th,  two  of  the  hunters  killed  a  reindeer  and 
its  fawn.  The  ice  continued  to  hinder  them,  but  they 
worked  along  slowly.  On  one  of  the  islands  that  they 
passed  reindeer  were  seen,  and  seven  killed.  The  isl- 
and was  named  Isle  de  Carre  Boeuf.  Here  occurs  a 
somewhat  unusual  usage  of  the  term  pemmican,  de- 
scribed to  be  "fish  dried  in  the  sun,  and  afterward 
pounded  for  the  convenience  of  carriage."  The  more 
common  meaning  of  the  term  is,  flesh  dried  and  pounded 
and  mixed  with  grease — as  buffalo  pemmican,  elk  pem- 
mican, caribou  pemmican.  On  Tuesday,  the  23d,  the 
explorer  met  with  a  little  camp — three  lodges — of  Red- 
Knife  Indians,  so  called  from  their  copper  knives. 
They  informed  the  explorer  that  others  of  their  people 
were  near  at  hand.  These  Indians — now  known  as 
Yellow- Knives — are  of  Athabaskan  stock,  thus  allied  to 
the  Hare,  Dog-Rib,  and  Chipewyan  peoples,  also  to  the 
Navajos  and  Apaches  of  the  south.  They  possessed  some 
furs,  and  Mr.  Le  Roux  secured  from  them  eight  packs 
of  good  beaver  and  marten  skins.  They  seemed  to  know 
little  or  nothing  about  the  country  to  the  north,  and  Mac- 
kenzie's inquiries  brought  forth  no  useful  information. 

The  ice  in  the  lake  was  still  troublesome,  though 
breaking  up  fast.  On  Monday,  June  29,  they  entered 
the  river  by  which  Slave  Lake  discharges  to  the  north, 
and  made  good  progress  down  it.  On  both  sides  of 
the  river  the  Indians  reported  that  there  were  extensive 


Alexander  Mackenzie 


plains,  which  abounded  in  buffalo  and  moose-deer. 
By  this  time  the  wild  fowl  had  begun  to  molt,  and  the 
Indians  no  longer  troubled  to  shoot  them,  but  pursued 
them  in  their  canoes,  killing  them  with  sticks  or  capt- 
uring them  alive.  On  the  1st  of  July,  keeping  on 
down  the  river,  they  made  a  cache  of  provisions  on  an 
island.  By  this  time  they  had  come  in  sight  of  high 
mountains  to  the  west,  barren  and  rocky  at  the  top,  but 
well  wooded  on  the  slopes. 

On  July  3  the  current  was  stronger,  and  their  prog- 
ress still  more  rapid.  They  saw  frequent  signs  of  camps, 
but  none  of  very  recent  occupation;  but  on  the  5th, 
smoke  was  seen  on  the  north  shore  of  the  river,  and 
as  the  canoes  drew  nearer,  natives  were  discovered  run- 
ning about  in  apparent  alarm.  Some  took  refuge  in 
the  woods,  others  hurried  to  their  canoes.  The  hunt- 
ers landed,  and  calling  out  to  the  Chipewyans  in  their 
own  tongue,  assured  them  that  the  party  was  a  friendly 
one,  and  after  some  difficulty  the  Indians  became  con- 
vinced that  there  was  no  danger.  These  were  five 
families  of  two  different  tribes,  the  Slave  and  the  Dog- 
Rib.  Mackenzie  offered  them  the  pipe,  though  it  was 
quite  apparent  that  they  were  unacquainted  with  to- 
bacco, and  also  gave  them  a  drink  of  grog,  which  also 
seemed  new  to  them.  However,  they  appreciated  the 
beauties  of  knives,  beads,  awls,  rings,  hatchets,  etc., 
and  soon  became  so  trustful  that  "They  became  more 
familiar  even  than  we  expected,  for  we  could  not  keep 
them  out  of  our  tents;  though  I  did  not  observe  that 
they  attempted  to  purloin  anything. 


go  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

"The  information  that  they  gave  respecting  the  river 
had  so  much  of  the  fabulous  that  I  shall  not  detail  it; 
it  will  be  sufficient  just  to  mention  their  attempts  to 
persuade  us  that  it  would  require  several  winters  to 
get  to  the  sea,  and  that  old  age  would  come  upon  us  be- 
fore the  period  of  our  return;  we  were  also  to  encounter 
monsters  of  such  horrid  shapes  and  destructive  power 
as  could  only  exist  in  their  wild  imagination.  They 
added,  besides,  that  there  were  two  impassable  falls 
in  the  river,  the  first  of  which  was  about  thirty  days* 
march  from  us." 

While  these  stories  did  not  affect  Mackenzie,  they 
did  influence  his  Indians,  who  were  already  tired  of  the 
voyage,  and  anxious  to  turn  back,  and  it  required  some 
effort  to  convince  them  that  it  was  better  to  go  on. 
One  of  the  natives  was  persuaded  to  accompany  them 
as  a  guide,  and  though  he  afterward  wished  to  with- 
draw, he  was  not  allowed  to,  and  with  some  ceremony 
he  finally  took  his  unwilling  departure  with  the  white 
men.  These  people  used  bone  knives,  were  tattooed  on 
the  face,  wore  a  goose-quill,  or  a  small  piece  of  wood, 
through  the  nose,  and  used  vessels  woven  of  wattap — 
the  roots  of  the  spruce  or  tamarack — in  which  they 
boiled  their  food  by  hot  stones.  Arrows  were  pointed 
with  horn,  flint,  iron,  or  copper,  and  their  axes  were 
made  of  stone.  From  the  neighboring  Red-Knives  and 
Chipewyans,  by  barter  for  skins,  they  obtained  small 
pieces  of  iron,  from  which  also  they  made  knives. 
Their  awls  were  of  iron  or  horn. 

The  guide  whom  they  took  from  this  country  was 


Alexander  Mackenzie  91 

anxious  to  return  to  his  people,  and  had  to  be  watched 
constantly  to  prevent  his  escape.  As  the  explorers 
passed  on  northward  they  were  constantly  in  sight  of 
the  ridge  of  snowy  mountains  to  the  west.  "  Our  con- 
ductor informed  us  that  great  numbers  of  bears  and 
small  white  buffaloes  frequent  those  mountains,  which 
are  also  inhabited  by  Indians."  These  white  buffalo 
have  been  thought  to  be  white  goats;  probably  they 
were  the  white  sheep  (Ovis  dalli)  which  inhabit  the 
mountains  to  the  west  of  the  Mackenzie  River. 

The  next  day  more  natives  were  met  with,  who,  as 
usual,  fled  on  the  approach  of  the  white  men.  One  old 
man,  however,  did  not  run,  but  approached  the  trav- 
ellers, "  and  represented  himself  as  too  far  advanced  in 
life,  and  too  indifferent  about  the  short  time  he  had  to 
remain  in  the  world,  to  be  very  anxious  about  escap- 
ing from  any  danger  that  threatened  him;  at  the  same 
time,  he  pulled  his  gray  hairs  from  his  head  by  hand- 
fuls  to  distribute  among  us,  and  implored  our  favor 
for  himself  and  for  his  relations.  Our  guide,  however, 
at  length  removed  his  fears,  and  persuaded  him  to  recall 
the  fugitives,  who  consisted  of  eighteen  people."  These 
joyfully  received  the  presents  of  beads,  knives,  and 
awls,  which  were  offered  them,  and  overwhelmed  the 
explorers  with  hospitable  attentions,  giving  them  food, 
which  was  gladly  accepted.  They  told  of  dangers  to 
be  met  with  farther  down  the  river,  and  some  of  the 
natives  accompanied  Mackenzie's  people  to  point  out 
the  safest  channel  of  the  rapids,  which  they  declared 
to  be  just  beyond;  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  there  were 


92  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

no  rapids.  The  river  was  about  three  hundred  yards 
broad,  and  Mackenzie's  soundings  gave  fifty  fathoms 
of  water. 

Along  the  river  there  were  almost  continuous  encamp- 
ments of  Indians,  all  of  whom  were  spoken  to,  and 
all  of  whom  traded  food,  such  as  hares,  ptarmigan 
and  fish,  to  the  travellers.  The  last  parties  met  with 
were  Hare  Indians,  who  told  wonderful  stories  of  danger 
and  of  fearful  things  to  be  met  on  the  river;  and  these 
terrors  were  not  distant,  for  according  to  the  Indians, 
behind  an  island  opposite  their  camp  dwelt  a  spirit 
in  the  river  which  swallowed  every  person  that  ap- 
proached it.  Unfortunately,  Mackenzie  had  no  time 
to  cross  to  the  island,  to  see  whether  it  would  swallow 
him. 

The  people  met  a  little  farther  along  were  more  at- 
tractive than  those  seen  earlier,  many  of  whom  had 
been  sick,  while  these  were  "healthy,  full  of  flesh,  and 
clean  in  their  persons."  Their  ornaments  and  uten- 
sils did  not  differ  greatly  from  those  farther  up  the 
river.  They  had  a  little  iron,  which  they  obtained 
from  the  Eskimos;  their  arrows  were  made  of  very 
light  wood,  and  winged  with  two  feathers,  while  their 
bows  were  of  Eskimo  type,  made  of  two  pieces  spliced 
with  sinew.  Their  shirts  were  not  cut  square  at  the 
bottom,  but  tapered  to  a  point  from  the  belt  down- 
ward as  low  as  the  knee,  before  and  behind,  and  these 
points  were  fringed.  Over  the  breast,  back,  and  shoul- 
ders their  shirts  were  also  fringed,  the  fringe  being  or- 
namented with  the  stone  of  a  berry,  which  was  drilled 


Alexander  Mackenzie  93 

and  run  on  each  string  of  the  fringe.  The  sleeves  of 
the  shirts  were  short  and  wide,  and  long  mittens  cov- 
ered their  hands  and  arms.  Their  leggings  were  like 
trousers,  and  the  shoes  sewed  to  the  leggings. 

These  people  told  them  that  it  would  take  ten  more 
nights  to  reach  the  sea,  but  after  three  nights  they 
would  meet  the  Eskimo.  The  reports  of  some  guns 
discharged  as  the  canoes  pushed  off  greatly  alarmed 
the  Indians,  and  the  guide  that  they  had  hired  at  this 
place  seemed  inclined  to  leave  them,  until  advised  that 
the  noise  was  a  signal  of  friendship.  The  guide  and 
two  of  his  companions  who  accompanied  them  on  their 
journey  were  merry  fellows,  singing  not  only  their  na- 
tive songs,  but  others  in  imitation  of  the  Eskimos. 
Not  satisfied  with  singing,  their  guide  proceeded  to 
dance,  and  transferring  himself  to  the  white  men's 
canoe,  he  danced  in  it,  to  their  no  small  alarm  lest  it 
should  be  upset. 

Mackenzie  now  began  to  be  a  little  uneasy,  for  his 
provisions  were  growing  scant,  his  hunters  discouraged, 
and  his  men  generally  seemed  anxious  to  return. 
Some  of  them  declared  that  they  must  turn  back,  and 
the  explorer  was  obliged  to  satisfy  them  by  the  assur- 
ance that  he  would  go  forward  only  seven  days  more, 
and  if  he  did  not  then  reach  the  sea,  would  return. 
They  had  now  reached  latitude  68°,  and  the  sun  was 
continually  above  the  horizon.  On  the  nth  they  met 
an  abandoned  camp  of  Indians,  where  were  seen  parts 
of  the  fragments  of  three  canoes,  and  places  where  oil 
had  been  spilt.  Later,  an  Eskimo  hut  was  found,  and 


94  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

about  it  a  great  deal  of  property.  Now,  they  began  to 
see  fresh  tracks  of  the  Eskimos  on  the  beach.  Accord- 
ing to  their  guide,  they  were  approaching  a  large  lake, 
where  the  Eskimos  lived,  and  in  which  they  killed  large 
fish  found  there,  which  Mackenzie  presumed  must  be 
whales.  White  bears,  and  other  large  animals  not  iden- 
tified from  the  description,  were  told  of,  as  well  as  the 
Eskimo  canoes,  which  could  conveniently  carry  four 
or  five  families. 

On  the  1 2th,  in  the  morning,  they  landed  where  there 
were  four  huts.  "The  adjacent  land  is  high  and 
covered  with  short  grass  and  flowers,  though  the  earth 
was  not  thawed  above  four  inches  from  the  surface, 
beneath  which  was  a  solid  body  of  ice.  This  beauti- 
ful appearance,  however,  was  strongly  contrasted  with 
the  ice  and  snow  that  was  seen  in  the  valleys.  The 
soil,  where  there  is  any,  is  a  yellow  clay  mixed  with 
stones.  These  huts  appear  to  have  been  abandoned 
during  the  last  winter,  and  we  had  reason  to  think  that 
some  of  the  natives  had  been  lately  there,  as  the  beach 
was  covered  with  the  tracks  of  their  feet.  Many  of 
the  runners  and  bars  of  their  sledges  were  laid  together 
near  the  houses  in  a  manner  that  seemed  to  denote  the 
return  of  the  proprietors.  There  were  also  pieces  of 
netting  made  of  sinews,  and  some  of  bark  of  the  willow. 
A  thread  of  the  former  was  platted,  and  no  ordinary 
portion  of  time  must  have  been  employed  in  manu- 
facturing so  great  a  length  of  cord.  A  square  stone 
kettle  with  a  flat  bottom  also  occupied  our  attention, 
which  was  capable  of  containing  two  gallons;  and  we 


Alexander  Mackenzie  95 

were  puzzled  as  to  the  means  these  people  must  have 
employed  to  have  chiselled  it  out  of  a  solid  rock  into  its 
present  form." 

When  they  had  satisfied  their  curiosity  they  were 
about  to  re-embark,  but  were  puzzled  to  know  where 
they  should  go  or  what  channel  they  should  take. 
The  lake  was  quite  open  to  them  to  the  westward,  and 
the  water  very  shallow,  so  much  so  that  it  was  impossi- 
ble to  go  very  close  to  the  shore.  They  therefore  went 
to  an  island,  where  they  camped,  and,  having  set  the 
net,  Mackenzie  and  his  interpreter  climbed  to  the 
highest  part  of  the  island,  from  which  they  discovered 
solid  ice,  extending  from  the  south-west  by  compass  to 
the  north  and  to  the  eastward.  To  the  east  were  many 
islands. 

As  they  passed  along,  on  their  walk  of  exploration, 
they  came  upon  a  number  of  white  partridges,  now  be- 
coming brown — the  ptarmigan — and  beautiful  plover, 
which  were  breeding.  There  were  also  white  owls, 
and  presently  they  came  upon  an  Eskimo  grave. 

Even  the  Indians  and  the  Canadians,  seeing  that  the 
time  for  turning  back  had  almost  come,  began  to  re- 
gret that  they  must  return  without  coming  to  the  sea, 
not  knowing  that  they  were  already  upon  it.  For  the 
next  two  or  three  nights  they  were  several  times  obliged 
to  move  the  baggage  to  keep  the  water  from  flowing 
about  it,  and  at  last  Mackenzie  concluded  that  this 
was  the  tide  that  was  rising  and  falling.  One  morning 
many  large  animals  were  seen  in  the  water,  and  Mac- 
kenzie recognized  them  as  whales,  and  ordered  the 


96  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

canoe  to  start  in  pursuit.  Fortunately,  just  at  this  time 
a  fog  arose  and  the  whales  were  not  overtaken.  These 
were  white  whales,  and,  the  Indian  guide  stated,  were 
one  of  the  principal  sources  of  food  for  the  Eskimo. 

All  Mackenzie's  efforts  to  meet  these  northern  people 
failed,  and  on  Thursday,  the  i6th  of  July,  the  canoes 
entered  the  river  and  began  the  return  journey.  They 
were  still  subsisting  largely  on  the  wild  fowl  that  the 
Indians  killed  and  the  fish  that  they  took  in  their  nets, 
and  these  were  barely  enough  to  support  them.  In- 
deed, on  some  days  the  wild  fowl  were  so  shy  that  they 
could  not  be  approached,  and  this  obliged  them  to 
draw  more  or  less  on  their  store  of  provisions.  How- 
ever, on  the  1 8th,  and  before  they  had  gotten  away 
from  the  country  of  the  Eskimos,  the  hunters  killed 
two  reindeer,  a  very  fortunate  addition  to  their  supply 
of  food.  But  this  killing  of  the  reindeer  was  not  with- 
out its  unfortunate  side,  for  it  so  alarmed  their  guide 
that  he  deserted  that  night.  However,  geese  were 
plenty,  and  on  the  following  day  the  hunters  killed 
twenty-two,  and  the  next  day  fifteen,  and  four  swans. 

They  were  now  obliged  to  resort  to  the  laborious  and 
slow  towing-line  to  ascend  the  river.  They  met  a 
party  of  Indians,  among  whom  was  the  brother  of  the 
guide  who  had  recently  deserted,  and  Mackenzie  sat  up 
all  night  to  watch  them.  They  were  greatly  interested 
when  they  saw  him  writing,  wondering  what  he  was 
doing.  As  the  night  drew  on,  some  women  came  from 
the  forest  to  the  camp,  and  after  remaining  for  a  short 
time,  went  away.  "Those  who  remained  immediately 


Alexander  Mackenzie  97 

kindled  a  small  fire  and  layed  themselves  down  to  sleep 
around  it,  like  so  many  whelps,  having  neither  skins 
nor  garments  of  any  kind  to  cover  them,  notwithstand- 
ing the  cold  that  prevailed.  My  people  having  placed 
their  kettle  of  meat  on  the  fire,  I  was  obliged  to  guard 
it  from  the  natives,  who  made  several  attempts  to 
possess  themselves  of  its  contents;  and  this  was  the 
only  instance  I  had  hitherto  discovered  of  their  being 
influenced  by  a  pilfering  disposition.  It  might  perhaps 
be  a  general  opinion  that  provisions  were  a  common 
property." 

From  here  they  continued  to  tow  the  canoe  up  the 
river.  Some  Indian  huts  seen  were  built  of  drift-wood. 
On  the  slope  of  the  beach,  and  on  the  inside,  earth  was 
dug  away  to  form  a  level  floor.  Within  these  huts 
were  drying  scaffolds,  covered  with  split  fish,  and  fires 
made  in  different  parts  of  the  hut  warmed  and  dried 
the  air,  and  hastened  the  operation  of  drying.  The 
Indians,  probably  the  Loucheux,  an  Athabascan  tribe, 
told  him  of  the  Eskimos  who  dressed  like  themselves, 
wore  their  hair  short,  and  had  two  holes  perforated,  one 
on  each  side  of  the  mouth,  in  line  with  the  under  lip, 
on  which  they  placed  long  beads — the  labrets,  so  well 
known  as  ornaments  of  the  primitive  Eskimos.  They 
reported  the  animals  of  their  country  to  be  reindeer, 
bears,  wolverines,  martens,  foxes,  hares,  and  white 
buffaloes — white  sheep  (Ovls  dalli) — and  that  the  latter 
were  only  to  be  found  in  the  mountains  to  the  westward. 

On  the  journey  up  the  river  the  towing-line  was  much 
in  use,  but  often,  when  the  wind  was  north,  it  was 


Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 


possible  to  use  the  sail.  For  six  days  on  this  southward 
journey  the  party  had  not  touched  any  of  their  pro- 
vision stores,  but  in  this  time,  Mackenzie  says,  they 
had  consumed  two  reindeer,  four  swans,  forty-five 
geese,  and  a  considerable  quantity  of  fish.  "I  have 
always  observed  that  the  northmen  possessed  very 
hearty  appetites,  but  they  were  much  exceeded  by 
those  with  me  since  we  entered  this  river.  I  should 
really  have  thought  it  absolute  gluttony  in  my  people, 
if  my  own  appetite  had  not  increased  in  a  similar  pro- 
portion." 

He  now  began  to  hear,  from  the  people  whom  he 
met,  of  a  great  river  to  the  west  of  the  one  he  was 
travelling  on,  and  beyond  the  mountains,  perhaps  the 
Yukon  or  the  Fraser.  But  the  country  through  which 
this  river  ran  was  inhabited  by  strange  creatures. 
"The  Indians  represented  them  as  being  of  gigantic 
stature  and  adorned  with  wings,  which,  however,  they 
never  employed  in  flying;  that  they  fed  on  large  birds, 
which  they  killed  with  the  greatest  ease,  though  com- 
mon men  would  be  certain  victims  of  their  voracity 
if  they  ventured  to  approach  them.  They  also  de- 
scribed the  people  that  inhabited  the  mouth  of  the  river 
as  possessing  the  extraordinary  power  of  killing  with 
their  eyes,  and  devouring  a  large  beaver  at  a  single 
meal.  They  added  that  canoes  of  very  large  dimensions 
visited  that  place.  These  tales,  however,  they  told  not  of 
their  own  knowledge,  but  from  reports  of  other  tribes." 

It  was  at  this  camp  that  Mackenzie  was  obliged  to 
shoot  an  Indian  dog,  which  it  was  impossible  to  keep 


Alexander  Mackenzie  99 

from  interfering  with  his  baggage,  which,  of  course,  con- 
tained the  provisions.  "It  was  in  vain  that  I  had  re- 
monstrated on  this  subject,  so  that  I  was  obliged  to 
commit  the  act  which  is  just  mentioned.  When  these 
people  heard  the  report  of  the  pistol,  and  saw  the  dog 
dead,  they  were  seized  with  a  very  great  alarm,  and 
the  women  took  the  children  on  their  backs  and  ran 
into  the  woods.  I  ordered  the  cause  of  this  act  of 
severity  to  be  explained,  with  the  assurance  that  no 
injuries  would  be  offered  to  themselves.  The  woman, 
however,  to  whom  the  dog  belonged  was  very  much 
affected,  and  declared  that  the  loss  of  five  children  dur- 
ing the  preceding  winter  had  not  affected  her  so  much 
as  the  death  of  this  animal;  but  her  grief  was  not  of 
very  long  duration,  and  a  few  beads,  etc.,  soon  assuaged 
her  sorrow/' 

On  the  way  up  the  river,  August  2,  small  springs  of 
mineral  water  were  observed,  as  well  as  lumps  of  iron 
ore,  and  finally  a  "coal  mine,"  or  bed  of  lignite,  on 
fire.  The  beach  was  covered  with  coal,  and  the  Eng- 
lish Chief  gathered  some  of  it  to  be  used  as  a  black 
dye,  to  color  porcupine  quills.  A  little  farther  on  the 
Indian  hunters  killed  a  beaver,  whose  fur  was  now 
beginning  to  grow  long.  Tracks  of  moose  and  reindeer 
were  seen,  but  all  of  them  old.  Since  the  weather  was 
growing  cooler  the  reindeer  would  now  leave  the  plains 
to  come  into  the  woods,  for  the  mosquitoes  were  be- 
ginning to  disappear.  Though  the  river  had  fallen 
much  the  current  was  still  very  strong,  and  the  work 
difficult.  The  weather  was  cold,  and  now  their  violent 


ioo  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

exercise  scarcely  kept  them  warm.  The  women  con- 
stantly remained  in  the  canoes,  making  moose-skin  moc- 
casins for  the  men,  who  as  constantly  wore  them  out, 
a  pair  lasting  not  more  than  one  day. 

On  the  yth  they  saw  two  reindeer  on  the  beach  be- 
fore them,  but  the  Indians,  quarrelling  to  see  which 
should  be  the  first  to  get  near  them,  alarmed  the  deer, 
which  ran  away.  However,  a  female  reindeer  was 
killed,  whose  legs  showed  wounds,  and  it  was  supposed 
that  she  had  been  pursued  by  wolves,  which  devoured 
her  young  one.  One  of  the  young  Indians  took  her 
udder,  which  was  full  of  milk,  and,  squeezing  it  over 
some  boiled  corn,  ate  the  mixture  with  great  relish. 

On  the  loth,  accompanied  by  one  of  his  young  Ind- 
ians, Mackenzie  strove  without  success  to  reach  the 
mountains  which  were  seen  on  the  south-west  of  the 
river. 

For  the  last  few  days  the  hunters  had  been  unsuccess- 
ful, killing  only  a  beaver,  a  few  hares,  and  a  few  water- 
fowl, but  on  the  131)1  they  reached  the  island  where  they 
had  hidden  their  pemmican  on  the  way  down,  and 
raising  the  cache,  found  themselves  once  more  in  plenty. 
A  little  later  they  saw  another  camp  of  Indians,  who, 
very  much  frightened,  drew  their  canoes  up  on  the 
beach  and  fled  to  the  woods,  leaving  much  of  their 
property  behind  them.  This  was  pounced  upon  by  Mac- 
kenzie's Indians,  and  he  took  his  interpreter  severely 
to  task  for  their  conduct.  This  brought  on  a  more  or 
less  violent  dispute,  in  the  course  of  which  the  English 
Chief  declared  that  he  would  accompany  Mackenzie 


Alexander  Mackenzie  101 

no  farther,  but  would  leave  him  and  remain  here. 
The  Indian  and  all  his  relations  wept  bitterly,  but  after 
a  few  hours  Mackenzie  persuaded  him  to  continue  the 
journey,  and  propitiated  him  by  a  gift  of  rum. 

On  the  iyth  and  i8th  of  August  the  hunters  were 
more  successful,  and  on  the  last  day  the  English  Chief 
killed  a  buffalo,  while  a  few  water-fowl  were  brought 
in  daily.  They  now  found  signs  of  a  Cree  encamp- 
ment and  presently  reached  the  entrance  of  Slave  Lake. 
Coasting  around  this,  often  in  heavy  weather,  they  came 
upon  Mr.  Le  Roux,  from  the  fort  there,  and  found 
that  he  had  been  somewhat  successful  in  trading  for 
skins,  having  five  packs,  principally  of  marten.  Large 
game  seemed  abundant  here,  and  the  tracks  of  buffalo, 
moose,  and  reindeer  were  seen.  On  August  30  they 
reached  Mr.  Le  Roux's  house. 

Here  Mackenzie's  Indians  left  him,  on  the  ground 
that  he  travelled  too  fast  for  them  and  that  they  feared 
they  should  be  drowned  if  they  followed  so  reckless  a 
sailor.  Mr.  Le  Roux's  establishment  was  left  on  the 
3  ist  of  August,  and  twelve  days  later,  after  many  diffi- 
culties from  storm  and  cold,  they  reached  Fort  Chipe- 
wyan,  having  concluded  a  voyage  which  had  occupied 
one  hundred  and  two  days. 


CHAPTER  VI 

ALEXANDER  MACKENZIE 
II 

ON  October  10,  1792,  Alexander  Mackenzie  left 
Fort  Chipewyan  to  proceed  up  Peace  River, 
his  purpose  being  to  go  up  the  stream  so  far  as 
the  season  would  permit,  and,  wintering  wherever  he 
must,  to  cross  the  mountains  at  its  head  and  continue 
westward,  if  possible,  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

Peace  River  takes  its  name  from  the  settlement  of 
their  differences  at  Peace  Point  by  the  Knisteneaux  and 
Beaver  Indians.  "When  this  country  was  formerly 
invaded  by  the  Knisteneaux  they  found  the  Beaver 
Indians  inhabiting  the  land  about  the  Portage  La 
Loche;  and  the  adjoining  tribes  were  those  whom  they 
called  Slaves.  They  drove  both  these  tribes  before 
them,  when  the  latter  proceeded  down  the  river  from 
the  Lake  of  the  Hills,  in  consequence  of  which  that 
part  of  it  obtained  the  name  of  the  Slave  River.  The 
former  proceeded  up  the  river,  and  when  the  Kniste- 
neaux made  peace  with  them,  this  place  was  settled  to 
be  the  boundary." 

As  they  proceeded,  the  weather  was  so  cold  and  raw 
as  to  make  travel  unpleasant,  but  on  the  afternoon  of 


Alexander  Mackenzie  103 

October  17  they  reached  the  falls,  where  there  were 
two  considerable  portages,  and  where  they  found  re- 
cent fires,  showing  that  the  canoes  that  Mackenzie  had 
despatched  some  days  before  were  not  far  ahead. 

On  the  I  Qth  they  reached  what  is  termed  the  Old 
Establishment,  an  early  fort,  and  found  that  the  people 
preceding  them  had  slept  there  the  previous  night,  and 
had  carelessly  set  the  large  house  on  fire.  But  for 
Mackenzie's  arrival  all  the  buildings  would  have  been 
destroyed.  On  either  side  of  Peace  River  here  were 
extensive  plains,  which  offered  pasturage  to  great  herds 
of  buffalo. 

The  next  morning  they  reached  the  fort,  and  were 
received  with  shouts  of  rejoicing  and  volleys  from  the 
guns,  by  the  Indians,  who  now  expected  rum  and  a 
carouse.  About  three  hundred  Indians  belonged  here, 
who,  though  apparently  Chipewyan  by  race,  had 
adopted  the  manners  and  customs  of  their  former  ene- 
mies, the  Crees.  The  contrast  between  the  neat  and 
decent  appearance  of  the  men  and  the  very  disagreeable 
looks  of  the  women  was  striking.  After  staying  here 
only  long  enough  to  give  some  advice  and  presents  to 
the  Indians  and  his  instructions  to  Mr.  Findlay,  he 
kept  on  up  the  river.  It  was  constantly  growing  colder 
and  the  ice  gave  some  trouble,  but  on  November  i  he 
reached  the  place  where  he  expected  to  winter. 

Two  men  had  been  sent  forward  in  the  spring  to  cut 
and  square  timber  for  the  erection  of  a  house,  and 
about  seventy  Indians  had  joined  them.  The  men  had 
worked  well,  and  prepared  timber  enough  for  a  con- 


104  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

siderable  fort,  as  well  as  a  ditch  in  which  to  set  up 
the  palisades  of  a  stockade.  Experience  at  the  Old 
Establishment  had  shown  that  many  vegetables  would 
grow  well  in  this  soil  and  climate,  but  this  was  no  time 
to  think  about  gardening.  What  was  more  important 
was  the  fact  that  the  plains  on  either  side  of  the  river 
abounded  in  buffalo,  elk,  wolves,  foxes,  and  bears, 
while  a  ridge  of  highlands  or  mountains  to  the  westward 
was  inhabited  by  great  numbers  of  deer,  being  called 
Deer  Mountain. 

As  with  all  traders,  Mackenzie's  first  business  was  to 
call  the  Indians  together  and  give  them  some  rum, 
tobacco,  and  advice.  They  listened  to  the  advice, 
drank  the  rum,  and  smoked  the  tobacco,  promising 
everything  that  he  asked. 

On  the  22d  of  November — although  the  side-head 
giving  the  date  in  the  printed  volume  says  December — 
the  river  froze  up,  so  that  the  hunters  had  a  bridge  on 
which  to  cross.  Game  was  plenty,  yet  but  for  this 
means  of  crossing  the  stream  they  might  have  suffered 
from  lack  of  food.  It  was  here  the  practice  of  medicine 
was  forced  on  Mackenzie.  By  means  of  simple  reme- 
dies and  by  close  personal  attention  to  each  case  he 
cured  a  number  of  severe  ailments  among  the  Indians. 

Of  one  of  these  he  says:  "On  my  arrival  here  last 
fall,  I  found  that  one  of  the  young  Indians  had  lost  the 
use  of  his  right  hand  by  the  bursting  of  a  gun,  and  that 
his  thumb  had  been  maimed  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
hang  only  by  a  small  strip  of  flesh.  Indeed,  when  he 
was  brought  to  me  his  wound  was  in  such  an  offen- 


Alexander  Mackenzie  105 

sive  state  and  emitted  such  a  putrid  smell  that  it  re- 
quired all  the  resolution  I  possessed  to  examine  it.  His 
friends  had  done  everything  in  their  power  to  relieve 
him,  but  as  it  consisted  only  in  singing  about  him  and 
blowing  upon  his  hand,  the  wound,  as  may  be  well 
imagined,  had  got  into  the  deplorable  state  in  which  I 
found  it.  I  was  rather  alarmed  at  the  difficulty  of 
the  case,  but  as  the  young  man's  life  was  in  a  state  of 
hazard,  I  was  determined  to  risk  my  surgical  repu- 
tation, and  accordingly  took  him  under  my  care.  I 
immediately  formed  a  poultice  of  bark,  stripped  from 
the  roots  of  the  spruce  fir,  which  I  applied  to  the  wound, 
having  first  washed  it  with  the  juice  of  the  bark.  This 
proved  a  very  painful  dressing.  In  a  few  days,  how- 
ever, the  wound  was  clean  and  the  proud  flesh  around 
it  destroyed.  I  wished  very  much  in  this  state  of  the 
business  to  have  separated  the  thumb  from  the  hand, 
which  I  well  knew  must  be  effected  before  the  cure 
could  be  performed,  but  he  would  not  consent  to  that 
operation  till,  by  the  application  of  vitriol,  the  flesh  by 
which  the  thumb  was  suspended  was  shrivelled  almost 
to  a  thread.  When  I  had  succeeded  in  this  object  I 
perceived  that  the  wound  was  closing  rather  faster 
than  I  had  desired.  The  salve  I  applied  on  the  oc- 
casion was  made  of  the  Canadian  balsam,  wax,  and 
tallow  dropped  from  a  burning  candle  into  water.  In 
short,  I  was  so  successful  that  about  Christmas  my 
patient  engaged  in  an  hunting  party,  and  brought  me 
the  tongue  of  an  elk;  nor  was  he  finally  ungrateful. 
When  he  left  me  I  received  the  warmest  acknowledg- 


io6  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

ments,  both  from  himself  and  the  relations  with  whom 
he  departed,  for  my  care  of  him.  I  certainly  did  not 
spare  my  time  or  attention  on  the  occasion,  as  I  regu- 
larly dressed  the  wound  three  times  a  day  during  the 
course  of  a  month." 

Just  before  Christmas,  Mackenzie  moved  from  his 
tent  into  his  house,  and  now  began  the  erection  of  houses 
for  the  men.  Long  before  this  the  thermometer  had 
been  down  far  below  zero,  yet  the  men  had  been  lying 
out  in  the  cold  and  snow  without  any  shelter  except 
an  open  shed.  "It  would  be  considered  by  the  inhabi- 
tants of  a  milder  climate  as  a  great  evil  to  be  exposed  to 
the  weather  at  this  rigorous  season  of  the  year,  but  these 
people  are  inured  to  it,  and  it  is  necessary  to  describe 
in  some  measure  the  hardships  which  they  undergo 
without  a  murmur,  in  order  to  convey  a  general  notion 
of  them. 

"The  men  who  were  now  with  me  left  this  place  in 
the  beginning  of  last  May  and  went  to  the  Rainy  Lake 
in  canoes,  laden  with  packs  of  fur,  which,  from  the 
immense  length  of  the  voyage  and  other  occurring 
circumstances,  is  a  most  severe  trial  of  patience  and 
perseverance;  there  they  do  not  remain  a  sufficient 
time  for  ordinary  repose,  when  they  take  a  load  of 
goods  in  exchange,  and  proceed  on  their  return,  in  a 
great  measure,  day  and  night.  They  had  been  arrived 
near  two  months,  and  all  that  time  had  been  continually 
engaged  in  very  toilsome  labor,  with  nothing  more  than 
a  common  shed  to  protect  them  from  the  frost  and  snow. 
Such  is  the  life  which  these  people  lead,  and  is  con- 


Alexander    Mackenzie  107 

tinued  with  unremitting  exertion  till  their  strength  is 
lost  in  premature  old  age/' 

Mackenzie  was  now  receiving  plenty  of  beaver  from 
the  Indians.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  he  was  not 
without  the  usual  annoyances  to  which  the  fur  trader 
was  exposed.  The  Indians  showed  a  tendency  to 
quarrel  among  themselves,  especially  over  their  gam- 
bling at  the  platter  game,  which  is  a  sort  of  throwing  of 
dice,  the  same,  apparently,  as  the  seed  game,  so  com- 
mon among  all  the  Indians  of  the  plains.  On  the 
whole,  however,  the  winter  passed  quietly,  and  geese 
were  seen  on  the  I3th  of  March. 

In  closing  his  account  of  this  winter,  passed  high  up 
on  Peace  River,  Mackenzie  gives  some  account  of  the 
Beaver  and  Rock  Mountain  Indians  living  there,  who, 
he  says,  did  not  exceed  150  men  capable  of  bearing 
arms.  As  late  as  1786,  when  the  first  traders  from 
Canada  arrived  on  the  banks  of  the  Peace  River,  the 
natives  employed  bows  and  snares,  but  since  then  they 
had  become  well  armed,  bows  were  little  used,  and  snares 
were  unknown.  These  Indians  were  excellent  hunters 
and  such  hard  workers  in  the  field  that  they  were  ex- 
tremely lean,  being  always  in  the  best  of  training. 
When  a  relation  died  the  men  blackened  the  face,  cut 
off  their  hair,  and  gashed  their  arms  with  knives  and 
arrows.  The  women  often  cut  off  a  finger  at  the  death 
of  a  favorite  son,  husband,  or  father.  The  Indians 
told  of  a  time  when  no  timber  grew  on  the  hills  and 
plains  along  Peace  River,  but  they  were  covered  with 
moss,  and  the  reindeer  was  the  only  animal.  As  the 


io8  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

timber  spread  on  them,  elk  and  buffalo  made  their 
appearance,  and  the  reindeer  retired  to  the  range  of 
highlands  called  Deer  Mountain. 

The  month  of  April  passed,  and  early  in  May  Mac- 
kenzie loaded  six  canoes  with  the  furs  and  provisions 
he  had  purchased,  and  despatched  them  to  Fort  Chipe- 
wyan.  He,  however,  retained  six  of  the  men,  who  agreed 
to  accompany  him  up  Peace  River  on  his  western  voyage 
of  discovery,  and  left  his  winter  interpreter  and  another 
person  in  charge  of  the  fort,  to  supply  the  natives  with 
their  ammunition  during  the  summer.  On  the  Qth 
day  of  May  he  embarked  in  a  canoe  twenty-five  feet 
long,  loaded  with  about  3,000  pounds  of  provisions, 
goods  for  presents,  arms,  ammunition,  and  baggage,  and 
ten  persons,  two  of  whom  were  hunters  and  interpreters. 

The  first  day's  journey  was  through  an  interesting 
and  beautiful  country.  "From  the  place  which  we 
quitted  this  morning  the  west  side  of  the  river  displayed 
a  succession  of  the  most  beautiful  scenery  I  had  ever 
beheld.  The  ground  rises  at  intervals  to  a  consider- 
able height  and  stretches  inward  to  a  considerable  dis- 
tance; at  every  interval  or  pause  in  the  rise  there  is  a 
very  gently  ascending  space  or  lawn,  which  is  alternate 
with  abrupt  precipices  to  the  summit  of  the  whole,  or,  at 
least,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  distinguish.  This  magnif- 
icent theatre  of  nature  has  all  the  decorations  which  the 
trees  and  animals  of  the  country  can  afford  it;  groves 
of  poplars  in  every  shape  vary  the  scene,  and  their  in- 
tervals are  enlivened  with  vast  herds  of  elks  and  buffa- 
loes, the  former  choosing  the  steeps  and  uplands,  and 


Alexander  Mackenzie  109 

the  latter  preferring  the  plains.  At  this  time  the  buffa- 
loes were  attended  with  their  young  ones,  who  were 
frisking  about  them;  and  it  appeared  that  the  elks 
would  soon  exhibit  the  same  enlivening  circumstance. 
The  whole  country  displayed  an  exuberant  verdure; 
the  trees  that  bear  a  blossom  were  advancing  fast  to 
that  delightful  appearance,  and  the  velvet  rind  of  their 
branches  reflecting  the  oblique  rays  of  a  rising  or  setting 
sun,  added  a  splendid  gaiety  to  the  scene,  which  no  ex- 
pressions of  mine  are  qualified  to  describe.  The  east 
side  of  the  river  consists  of  a  range  of  high  land  covered 
with  the  white  spruce  and  the  soft  birch,  while  the 
banks  abound  with  the  alder  and  the  willow.  The 
water  continued  to  rise,  and  the  current  being  propor- 
tionately strong,  we  made  a  greater  use  of  setting  poles 
than  paddles." 

On  the  following  days  camps  of  Beaver  Indians  were 
seen,  and  Mackenzie  was  somewhat  anxious  lest  they 
should  encourage  his  hunters  to  desert,  but  this  did  not 
take  place.  Game  continued  abundant, and  on  the  I3th 
they  saw  along  the  river  tracks  of  large  bears,  some  of 
which  were  nine  inches  wide.  "We  saw  one  of  their 
dens,  or  winter  quarters,  called  watee,  in  an  island, 
which  was  ten  feet  deep,  five  feet  high,  and  six  feet  wide, 
but  we  had  not  yet  seen  one  of  those  animals.  The 
Indians  entertain  great  apprehension  of  this  kind  of 
bear  which  is  called  the  grisly  bear,  and  they  never  vent- 
ure to  attack  it  but  in  a  party  of  at  least  three  or  four." 

The  land  on  both  sides  of  the  river  was  high  and 
irregular,  and  the  banks  and  the  rocky  cliffs  exhibited 


no  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

strata  of  red,  green,  and  yellow  colors.  "Some  parts, 
indeed,  offer  a  beautiful  scenery,  in  some  degrees  sim- 
ilar to  that  which  we  passed  on  the  second  day  of  our 
voyage,  and  equally  enlivened  with  the  elk  and  the 
buffalo,  who  were  feeding  in  great  numbers  and  un- 
molested by  the  hunter."  The  next  day  they  passed 
a  river,  of  the  mouth  of  which  Mackenzie  says:  "This 
spot  would  be  an  excellent  situation  for  a  fort  or  fac- 
tory, as  there  is  plenty  of  wood  and  every  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  the  country  abounds  in  beaver.  As  for  the 
other  animals,  they  are  in  evident  abundance,  as  in  every 
direction  the  elk  and  the  buffalo  are  seen  in  possession 
of  the  hills  and  the  plains."  Two  elks  were  killed  and 
a  buffalo  wounded  that  day.  The  land  above  their 
camp  spread  out  in  an  extensive  plain,  gradually  rising 
to  a  high  ridge,  chiefly  grassy,  and  dotted  with  poplar 
and  white  birch  trees.  "The  country  is  so  crowded 
with  animals  as  to  have  the  appearance,  in  some  places, 
of  a  stall-yard,  from  the  state  of  the  ground  and  the 
quantity  of  dung  which  is  scattered  over  it.  The  soil 
is  black  and  light.  We  this  day  saw  two  grisly  and 
hideous  bears." 

Although  the  ascent  of  the  river  had  not  been  easy 
and  they  had  frequently  been  obliged  to  unload  and 
repair  their  canoe,  it  was  not  until  Sunday,  the  iQth, 
that  they  met  rapids  and  cascades,  which  presented 
greater  difficulties.  The  canoe  was  heavily  laden,  the 
current  enormously  swift,  and  broken  constantly  by 
rocks  and  shoals;  the  only  means  of  advance  was  by  the 
tow-line,  and  the  beach  was  often  narrow  or  wanting. 


Alexander  Mackenzie  in 

At  the  beginning  of  this  very  difficult  stretch  of  water 
they  found  several  islands  of  solid  rock  with  but  little 
soil  upon  them,  the  rock  worn  away  near  the  water's 
surface,  but  unworn  higher  up,  so  that  the  islands  pre- 
sented, as  it  were,  so  many  large  tables,  each  of  which 
was  supported  by  a  pedestal  of  a  more  circumscribed 
projection.  On  these  islands  geese  were  breeding. 

Carrying  over  short  distances,  often  crossing  the  river 
in  a  very  swift  water,  in  constant  danger  from  the  great 
stones  which  frequently  fell  from  the  banks  above,  and 
much  of  the  time  in  the  water,  they  pursued  their  way 
for  a  short  distance  over  this  very  difficult  passage.  The 
work  was  terribly  hard,  and  as  far  as  they  could  see  up 
the  river  there  was  no  improvement  of  the  channel. 
Therefore,  Mackenzie  sent  out  a  party  of  six  men  to 
explore,  and  on  their  return  that  same  night  they 
reported  that  it  was  necessary  to  make  a  long  carry — 
nine  miles  they  said — before  smooth  water  would  be 
met  with.  The  canoe  was  therefore  unloaded,  the  bag- 
gage carried  up  to  the  top  of  the  bank  above  the  river, 
and  then  the  canoe  was  fairly  hauled  up  to  the  same 
height.  There  they  camped.  In  two  days'  march 
from  this  place,  carrying  the  load  and  the  canoe,  they 
again  met  quiet  water. 

The  journal  for  Thursday,  the  23d,  enumerates  the 
different  sorts  of  trees  which  they  saw,  among  which 
is  named  bois-picant,  a  tree  which  Mackenzie  had  not 
seen  before,  but  which  was  apparently  the  west-coast 
shrub — the  devil's  club,  which  grows  in  a  few  places  on 
the  eastern  slope  of  the  Continental  Divide.  Although 


H2  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

he  did  not  know  it,  Mackenzie  was  now  quite  close  to 
the  summit  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

The  river  here  was  wide,  flowing  in  great  volume, 
and  very  swiftly  but  smooth.  There  were  many  ani- 
mals in  the  country,  for  their  tracks  were  seen  every- 
where; and  when  Mackenzie  left  a  bundle  of  presents 
on  a  pole,  as  a  good-will  offering  to  any  natives  who 
might  pass  by,  one  of  his  Indians  added  to  the  bundle 
a  small,  round  piece  of  green  wood,  chewed  at  one  end 
to  form  a  brush,  such  as  the  Indians  use  to  pick  out  the 
marrow  from  bones.  This  was  the  sign  of  a  country 
with  many  animals  in  it.  At  a  number  of  points  along 
the  river  they  had  found  places  where  wood  had  been 
chopped  with  axes,  showing  that  the  Indians  who  had 
passed  along  here  had  had  intercourse  with  the  whites. 

They  were  now  flanked  on  both  sides  by  high  moun- 
tains covered  with  snow,  and  the  cold  was  so  severe 
that  the  men,  although  working  hard,  could  not  get 
along  without  their  blanket  coats.  On  the  last  day  of 
May  the  men  were  so  cold  that  they  landed  in  order  to 
kindle  a  fire. 

Their  great  labor,  so  long  continued,  had  made  Mac- 
kenzie's people  more  or  less  discontented.  They  were 
tired  of  the  journey  and  anxious  to  get  back.  More- 
over, some  wanted  to  go  in  one  direction  and  some  in 
another,  and  the  forking  of  the  river  gave  rise  to  open 
grumbling.  However,  Mackenzie  handled  them  well, 
and  they  went  on.  On  the  ist  of  June  he  says:  "In  no 
part  of  the  Northwest  did  I  see  so  much  beaver-work 
within  an  equal  distance  as  in  the  course  of  this  day. 


Alexander  Mackenzie  113 

In  some  places  they  had  cut  down  several  acres  of  large 
poplars;  and  we  saw  also  a  great  number  of  these 
active  and  sagacious  animals.  The  time  which  these 
wonderful  creatures  allot  for  their  labors,  whether  in 
erecting  their  curious  habitations  or  providing  food,  is 
the  whole  of  the  interval  between  the  setting  and  the 
rising  sun/' 

Ever  since  they  had  started  the  water  in  the  river 
had  been  rising,  since,  of  course,  the  advancing  sum- 
mer was  melting  the  snows  in  the  neighboring  moun- 
tains and  swelling  all  the  streams.  On  the  5th  of  June 
Mackenzie  left  the  canoe  and  ascending  a  high  hill  or 
mountain  crossed  the  country,  and  climbing  a  tree 
looked  ahead.  He  saw  little  that  was  interesting,  and 
on  returning  to  the  river  could  see  nothing  of  the  canoe. 
Made  anxious  by  this,  he  went  forward  to  see  if  it  was 
ahead,  sending  others  of  his  people  back  to  look  for  it. 
He  had  no  food,  and  was  preparing  to  lie  out  during 
the  night  when  a  shot  from  Mr.  Mackay  and  the  Indian 
who  had  been  sent  back  announced  that  the  canoe  had 
been  discovered.  His  people  excused  their  slow  prog- 
ress by  saying  that  their  canoe  had  been  damaged  and 
that  the  travel  had  been  harder  than  on  any  previous 
day,  and  Mackenzie  pretended  to  believe  them.  The 
difficulties  of  the  way  were  indeed  great.  The  current 
was  so  strong  that  paddles  could  not  be  used,  so  deep 
that  the  poles  were  useless,  while  the  bank  of  the  river 
was  so  lined  with  willows  and  other  trees  that  it  was 
impossible  to  pass  the  line.  The  water  was  still  rising 
and  the  current  growing  stronger.  In  spite  of  all 


1 14  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

these  impediments  they  pushed  on,  and  were  already 
beginning  to  look  for  the  carrying-place,  where  they 
should  cross  the  mountains  to  the  stream  which  ran 
toward  the  Pacific. 

On  Sunday,  June  9,  they  noticed  a  small  fire,  and 
in  a  short  time  heard  people  in  the  timber,  as  if  in  a 
state  of  confusion.  The  Indians  were  frightened  by  the 
discovery  of  the  explorer's  party,  and  the  explorer's 
party  were  not  a  little  alarmed  for  fear  they  should  be 
attacked.  Very  judiciously  Mackenzie  turned  his  canoe 
off  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  before  they 
were  half-way  across  two  men  appeared  on  the  rising 
ground  opposite  them,  brandishing  their  spears,  dis- 
playing bows  and  arrows,  and  shouting.  The  inter- 
preter called  to  the  Indians,  telling  them  that  the  white 
people  were  friendly,  yet  the  Indians  preserved  a  threat- 
ening attitude,  but  after  some  talk  consented  to  the 
landing  of  the  party,  though  evidently  very  much 
frightened.  They  laid  aside  their  weapons,  and  when 
Mackenzie  stepped  forward  and  shook  hands  with  each 
of  them,  one  of  them,  trembling  with  fear,  drew  his 
knife  from  his  sleeve  and  offered  it  to  Mackenzie  as  a 
mark  of  submission. 

These  Indians  had  heard  of  white  men  before,  but  had 
never  seen  any,  and  were  extremely  curious  as  well  as 
suspicious.  They  had  but  just  reached  here  and  had 
not  yet  made  their  camp,  but  on  the  discovery  of  Mac- 
kenzie's party  had  run  away,  leaving  their  property 
behind. 

The  explorer  made  a  great  effort  to  conciliate  and  to 


Alexander  Mackenzie  115 

attach  them  to  him,  and  during  the  day  the  whole  party 
of  Indians  came  in,  three  men,  three  women,  and  seven 
or  eight  boys  and  girls.  They  were  delighted  with  the 
beads  which  were  given  them,  and  seemed  to  enjoy  the 
pemmican,  their  own  provision  consisting  entirely  of 
dried  fish.  They  possessed  some  iron,  which  they  said 
they  obtained  from  people  distant  about  eleven  days' 
march,  and  that  those  people  travelled  for  a  month  to 
reach  the  country  of  other  tribes,  who  lived  in  houses 
and  who  extended  their  journeys  to  the  Stinking  Lake, 
or  the  ocean,  where  they  traded  with  white  people,  who 
came  in  boats  as  large  as  islands. 

This  account  discouraged  Mackenzie,  who  feared 
that  the  end  of  his  journey  was  far  distant.  However, 
he  continued  his  efforts  to  lull  the  suspicions  of  the  Ind- 
ians, and  treated  them  and  their  children  with  espe- 
cial kindness.  The  next  day,  sitting  about  the  fire  and 
listening  to  the  talk  of  the  Indians  and  interpreters, 
some  portion  of  which  he  could  understand,  he  recog- 
nized that  one  of  the  Indians  spoke  of  a  great  river 
flowing  near  the  source  of  the  one  which  they  were 
ascending,  and  of  portages  leading  to  a  small  river, 
which  discharged  into  the  great  river;  and  a  little 
patient  work  led  the  Indian  to  describe  what  seemed  a 
practicable  route  toward  the  ocean. 

These  Indians  were  of  low  stature,  not  exceeding  five 
feet  six  or  seven  inches,  lean,  round-faced,  with  pierced 
noses  and  loose-hanging  hair.  They  wore  robes  of  the 
skins  of  the  beaver,  the  ground-hog,  or  the  reindeer, 
dressed  with  the  hair  on.  Their  leggings  and  mocca- 


n6  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

sins  were  of  dressed  moose,  elk,  or  reindeer  skin.  They 
wore  collars  of  grizzly-bear  claws.  Their  cedar  bows 
were  six  feet  in  length,  and  bore  a  short  iron  spike  on 
one  end,  and  so  might  be  used  as  a  spear  or  lance. 
They  also  carried  lances  headed  with  iron  or  bone. 
Their  knives  and  axes  were  of  iron.  They  made  lines 
of  rawhide,  which  were  fine  and  strong,  while  their  nets 
and  fishing-lines  were  of  willow  bark  and  nettles.  Their 
hooks  were  of  bone  set  in  wood,  their  kettles  of  bas- 
ketry, their  spoons  of  horn  or  wood.  Their  canoes 
were  made  of  spruce  bark.  Among  certain  presents 
given  Mackenzie  before  he  parted  from  these  people 
were  a  net  made  of  nettles  and  "a  white  horn  in  the 
shape  of  a  spoon,  which  resembles  the  horn  of  the  buf- 
falo of  the  Coppermine  River" — by  which  undoubtedly 
is  meant  the  musk-ox — "but  their  description  of  the 
animal  to  which  it  belonged  does  not  answer  to  that." 
This  horn  was  probably  that  of  a  mountain  sheep. 

With  a  guide  engaged  from  these  people  Mackenzie 
pushed  on,  promising  the  Indians  that  he  would  return 
in  two  months.  The  journey  up  the  river  was  difficult, 
and  the  canoe  by  this  time  was  in  bad  shape,  so  that  a 
little  jar  caused  it  to  leak,  and  repairs  were  frequent. 
At  length  they  left  the  main  stream,  by  the  instruction 
of  the  guide,  who  declared  that  it  began  only  a  short  dis- 
tance away,  having  its  origin  in  a  great  valley  which 
was  full  of  snow,  the  melting  of  which  supplied  the 
river.  The  branch  which  they  went  up  was  only  about 
ten  yards  broad  and  the  one  they  now  entered  still  nar- 
rower. The  current  was  slow,  and  the  channel  so 


Alexander  Mackenzie  117 

crooked  that  it  was  sometimes  difficult  to  work  the 
canoe.  Soon  they  entered  a  small  lake  choked  with 
drift-wood,  and  camped  at  an  old  Indian  camp.  Beaver 
were  abundant  here,  as  were  swans  and  geese,  but  they 
killed  none  of  them,  for  fear  of  alarming  any  natives 
by  the  discharge  of  fire-arms.  This  Mackenzie  re- 
garded as  the  highest  source  of  the  Peace  River. 

At  the  head  of  the  lake  they  found  a  carry  where  there 
was  a  beaten  path,  about  eight  hundred  yards  long,  to 
another  small  lake.  From  here  two  streams  were  seen 
tumbling  down  the  rocks  from  the  right  and  emptying 
into  the  lake  that  they  had  left,  while  two  others,  fall- 
ing from  the  opposite  side,  poured  into  the  lake  they 
were  approaching.  Now  they  had  crossed  the  Conti- 
nental Divide,  and  instead  of  fighting  with  the  current 
they  would  be  going  down  the  stream.  We  may  imag- 
ine something  of  what  Mackenzie's  feelings  must  have 
been  when  he  had  surmounted  the  Divide  and  saw  be- 
fore him  a  direct  passage  to  the  western  ocean.  But 
his  troubles  were  by  no  means  over. 

From  the  lake  they  passed  into  a  small  river,  full  of 
wood  which  had  slipped  down  the  mountain  side,  and 
which  constantly  obstructed  the  way.  At  first  there 
was  scarcely  water  enough  to  float  the  canoe,  but  the 
water  grew  deeper,  and  toward  evening  they  entered 
another  lake.  Its  outlet  was  very  swift,  and  they  had 
difficulty  in  keeping  the  canoe  from  being  driven  against 
the  trees  which  had  fallen  across  it. 

Men  sent  ahead  down  the  river  to  report  on  its  prac- 
ticability came  back  with  terrible  stories  of  rapids,  fallen 


n8  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

trees,  and  large  stones.  The  guide  was  now  very  un- 
comfortable, and  wished  to  return,  but  this,  of  course, 
was  not  permitted. 

After  carrying  around  the  nearest  obstacles  they 
pushed  off  again,  but  the  force  of  the  current  was  so 
great  as  to  drive  the  canoe  sideways  down  the  river 
again  and  break  her.  Mackenzie  and  the  men  jumped 
overboard,  but  before  they  could  straighten  her  course 
or  stop  her  they  came  to  deeper  water,  and  were  obliged 
to  re-embark,  one  man  being  left  behind  in  the  river. 
Almost  immediately  they  drove  against  a  rock,  which 
shattered  the  stern  of  the  canoe,  and  now  the  vessel 
darted  to  the  other  side  of  the  river  and  the  bow  was 
smashed  as  well  as  the  stern.  The  foreman  tried  to 
check  her  by  holding  to  branches  of  a  tree,  but  was 
pulled  out  of  the  canoe  and  ashore.  A  moment  later 
she  struck  some  rocks,  which  broke  several  large  holes  in 
the  bottom,  and  in  a  moment  every  one  was  overboard 
trying  to  hold  up  the  wreck.  The  strength  of  the  cur- 
rent, however,  forced  them  down  the  stream  several 
hundred  yards,  but  at  last  the  vessel  was  guided  into 
shallow  water,  and  an  eddy,  and  there  stopped  and 
dragged  to  shore.  In  a  short  time  the  man  that  they 
had  left  behind  joined  them,  and  they  were  now  able  to 
see  what  their  condition  was.  They  had  lost  some  of 
their  baggage  and  the  whole  of  their  stock  of  balls,  but 
they  still  had  some  lead  in  the  form  of  shot,  from  which 
bullets  might  be  made.  The  men  were  frightened  and 
anxious  to  get  back,  but  a  liberal  dose  of  rum  with  a 
hearty  meal  and  some  encouraging  words  from  their 


MACKENZIE  AND  THE  MEN  JUMPED  OVERBOARD. 


Alexander  Mackenzie  119 

leader  quieted  their  fears,  and  made  them  willing  to  go 
on.  Men  were  sent  off  to  look  for  bark  with  which  to 
repair  the  canoe  and  also  to  look  for  the  main  river, 
which  their  guide  told  them  was  not  far  distant.  These 
men  came  back  with  unsatisfactory  reports,  declaring 
that  the  river  they  were  following  was  quite  imprac- 
ticable, while  they  had  not  been  able  to  see  the  other 
larger  river. 

The  next  day  the  canoe,  having  been  repaired,  was 
lightened  and  a  part  of  the  men  took  her  slowly  down 
the  river,  while  the  remainder  carried  the  baggage 
along  the  shore.  It  was  evident  that  this  stream  could 
not  be  followed  much  farther,  and  again  exploring  par- 
ties were  sent  out  to  see  if  the  great  river  could  not  be 
found.  They  saw  it,  but  declared  that  to  reach  it 
would  be  very  difficult.  That  night  Mackenzie,  as 
usual,  sat  up  to  watch  the  guide,  so  that  he  should  not 
desert,  but  Mr.  Mackay,  who  relieved  him,  permitted 
the  man  to  slip  away,  and  he  was  not  seen  again.  The 
river  that  they  were  descending  became  more  and  more 
swift  and  rough,  and  was,  in  fact,  wholly  impracticable. 
It  was  now  determined  to  cut  a  way  for  the  canoe 
across  a  neck  of  the  land,  and  at  eight  o'clock  that  night 
they  had  the  inexpressible  satisfaction  of  finding  them- 
selves "on  the  bank  of  a  navigable  river  on  the  western 
side  of  the  first  great  range  of  mountains." 

Rain  the  next  morning  postponed  their  start  until 
eight  o'clock,  when  they  were  on  the  water  and  driven 
by  a  strong  current,  which,  though  it  carried  them 
along  swiftly,  was  perfectly  safe,  since  the  river  seemed 


I2O  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

deep.  The  stream  was  constantly  joined  by  other 
rivers,  and  after  a  time  it  broadened  out  and  the  cur- 
rent became  slow,  so  that  they  proceeded  with  more 
deliberation.  An  Indian  cabin  of  recent  construction 
was  seen  on  the  shore,  and  toward  night  a  smoke  on 
the  bank  indicated  natives. 


CHAPTER  VII 

ALEXANDER  MACKENZIE 

in 

THE  next  day  the  forests  seemed  to  be  on  fire, 
since  clouds  of  thick  smoke  rose  from  the  wood 
with  a  strong  odor  of  burning  resin.  On  the 
afternoon  of  June  19  they  saw  smoke  on  the  shore,  but 
before  they  could  reach  land  the  natives  had  deserted 
their  camp.  Mackenzie  sent  his  Indians  after  them, 
but  they  were  threatening  and  discharged  five  arrows 
which,  however,  did  no  harm.  They  had  left  some 
property  behind  them  which  the  men  desired  to  take 
with  them.  A  few  things  were  taken  and  some  useful 
implements  were  left  in  exchange.  The  next  morning 
they  were  off  early  in  a  fog,  and  saw  two  "  red  deer  "  at 
the  edge  of  the  water.  Another  was  seen  and  might 
have  been  killed,  but  for  the  dog  which  frightened  it. 
These,  Mackenzie  says,  are  "not  so  large  as  the  elk  of 
the  Peace  River,  but  are  the  real  red  deer,  which  I 
never  saw  in  the  north,  though  I  have  been  told  that 
they  are  to  be  found  in  great  numbers  in  the  plains." 
Here  the  natives  had  stripped  the  bark  from  many  of 
the  spruce-trees,  presumably  to  roof  their  cabins.  A 


121 


122  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

house  was  seen  thirty  feet  long  and  twenty  wide,  evi- 
dently intended  for  occupation  by  more  than  one  family. 

The  constant  accidents  to  which  their  canoe  had  been 
subjected,  and  the  carrying  it  from  place  to  place,  had 
so  racked  and  broken  it  that  it  seemed  almost  hopeless 
to  go  farther  in  it.  On  Friday,  the  22d,  Mackenzie, 
recognizing  the  possibility  that  on  his  return  he  might 
have  nothing  to  eat,  made  a  cache  of  ninety  pounds  of 
pemmican  in  a  deep  hole,  over  which  a  fire  was  built. 

The  next  day,  as  they  went  on,  they  saw  a  small 
canoe  drawn  up  to  the  edge  of  the  woods,  and  soon 
after  another  came  out  from  a  small  river.  The  man 
who  was  in  it  called  to  his  friends,  who  at  once  appeared 
on  the  bank,  armed  with  bows,  arrows  and  spears. 
Although  they  were  evidently  much  alarmed,  they  were 
very  threatening  in  their  gestures,  and  let  fly  a  volley 
of  arrows,  which  did  no  harm.  Mackenzie  landed  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river  and  stopped  there,  his  inter- 
preters trying  to  pacify  the  Indians,  but  without  success. 
Two  men  went  off  in  a  canoe  down  the  river,  appar- 
ently to  procure  assistance.  Mackenzie,  now  having 
taken  the  precaution  to  send  one  of  his  Indians  with  a 
gun  into  the  woods  to  keep  within  easy  reach  of  them 
and  to  shoot  any  one  who  might  attack  him,  walked 
along  the  beach  and  invited  the  Indians  to  come  over 
and  see  him,  while  his  interpreter  declared  to  them 
that  these  people  were  his  friends.  At  length  two 
natives  came  over  in  a  canoe,  but  stopped  a  hundred 
yards  from  the  shore.  Mackenzie  signalled  to  them 
to  come  to  land,  showing  them  various  articles  which 


Alexander  Mackenzie  123 

might  be  attractive,  such  as  looking-glasses,  beads,  and 
other  things.  Very  slowly  they  drew  nearer  to  the 
shore,  but  at  first  would  not  venture  to  land.  At  last 
they  came  near  enough  to  get  some  beads,  and  were 
persuaded  to  come  ashore  and  to  sit  down.  It  was 
found  that  his  interpreters  could  talk  with  these  people, 
but  though  Mackenzie  tried  to  persuade  them  to  come 
to  his  canoe  they  did  not  wish  to,  and  asked  his  per- 
mission to  go  back  to  their  own  side  of  the  river.  This 
he  granted,  and  their  return  to  their  friends  was  evi- 
dently a  matter  of  great  rejoicing,  while  the  articles 
that  they  took  back  with  them  were  examined  with  the 
greatest  curiosity.  After  a  little  time  the  white  men 
were  asked  to  come  over  to  their  side,  which  they  did. 
The  Indians  were  still  timid,  but  the  distribution  of  a 
few  trinkets  among  them  and  a  little  sugar  to  the  chil- 
dren seemed  to  strengthen  their  confidence. 

These  people  reported  that  the  river  ran  to  the  south 
and  that  at  its  mouth  white  people  were  said  to  be 
building  houses.  There  were  rapids  and  falls  and  also 
very  terrible  people  along  the  shores;  people  who  lived 
in  underground  houses,  and  who  might  do  them  great 
harm.  The  night  was  spent  here. 

Still  travelling  in  his  crazy  canoe,  Mackenzie  kept 
on.  Before  long  he  came  to  a  camp,  the  Indians  of 
which,  as  usual,  threatened,  but  the  new  friends  made 
the  day  before  soon  set  their  fears  at  rest.  Among  the 
Indians  here  was  a  Rocky  Mountain  captive,  taken  by 
the  Crees,  who  had  carried  her  across  the  mountains, 
but  she  had  escaped  from  them,  and  in  the  effort  to 


124  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

return  to  her  own  people  had  been  captured  by  the 
tribe  with  whom  she  was  now  living.  As  he  saw  more 
and  more  of  these  natives  he  found  not  a  few  people 
from  the  Rocky  Mountains  with  whom  his  own  hunters 
could  perfectly  well  converse,  and  under  these  circum- 
stances he  did  everything  in  his  power  to  learn  about 
the  course  of  the  river  down  which  he  was  passing. 
There  was  evidently  a  considerable  trade  between  the 
coast  and  the  upper  country,  for  iron,  brass,  copper, 
and  beads  were  had  from  the  west. 

Mackenzie  now  had  remaining  about  thirty  days' 
provisions,  and  not  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty 
balls,  with  about  thirty  pounds  of  shot,  which  also 
might  be  used  for  balls,  though  with  considerable  waste. 
He  was  somewhat  doubtful  what  to  do,  not  only  on 
account  of  the  shortness  of  his  supplies,  but  because  of 
the  great  length  of  time  that  it  would  take  him  to  jour- 
ney to  the  sea  and  return.  If  he  went  to  the  coast  by 
this  river  it  would  seem  impossible  to  reach  Athabaska 
the  same  season.  He  now  called  a  council  and  asked 
the  advice  of  his  people,  saying  that  he  wished  to  try  to 
reach  the  ocean  overland,  because  he  thought  it  would 
be  a  saving  of  time,  but  declared  that  he  would  not 
attempt  to  do  this,  but  would  go  by  water  unless  they 
would  agree  that  if  the  land  journey  proved  impractica- 
ble they  would  return  with  him  and  continue  the  voy- 
age to  the  discharge  of  the  waters,  whatever  the  dis- 
tance might  be.  The  men  were  most  loyal,  and  all 
declared  that  they  would  follow  him  wherever  he  should 
go.  He  now  set  out  to  go  back  up  the  river  to  that  point 


Alexander  Mackenzie  125 

which  should  seem  nearest  to  the  seashore.  Their 
guide  preferred  to  travel  on  the  shore,  and  although 
Mackenzie  did  not  greatly  like  this,  he  thought  it  un- 
wise to  oppose  him.  The  next  day,  as  some  of  the 
men  were  walking  along  the  shore  with  the  guide,  they 
met  some  Indians  who  threatened  them.  The  guide 
ran  away,  and  Mackenzie's  people  kept  with  him. 
Finally  the  guide  escaped  from  them  and  the  people 
returned  to  their  leader.  Every  one  was  now  greatly 
alarmed,  no  one  understanding  what  had  happened, 
nor  why  the  Indians  were  frightened,  or  enraged,  which- 
ever it  might  be.  Mackenzie's  people  were  absolutely 
panic-stricken,  and  it  was  all  he  could  do  to  hold  them 
together.  They  selected  a  position  calculated  for  de- 
fence and  distributed  arms  and  ammunition. 

Now  followed  a  time  of  great  anxiety.  A  young 
woman  came  to  the  camp,  but  they  could  secure  no 
information  from  her.  That  night  an  old  blind  man 
was  captured,  returning  to  the  house,  having  been 
driven  from  his  hiding-place  in  the  woods  by  hunger. 
He  was  fed  and  well  treated  and  soon  gained  confi- 
dence. Occasionally  an  Indian  was  seen  on  the  river 
in  a  canoe,  but  none  of  them  would  approach  nor  re- 
ply to  any  calls.  At  length,  Mackenzie  decided  to 
leave  this  place  and  to  continue  up  the  river.  The 
canoe  was  absolutely  unfit  for  service,  and  one  man 
was  kept  bailing  all  the  time,  to  keep  her  afloat.  On 
the  ayth  they  stopped  at  an  island  where  there  seemed 
to  be  on  the  mainland  trees  which  would  furnish  the 
proper  material  for  a  new  canoe,  and  here  they  stopped 


ia6  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

and  built  one.  Here,  too,  their  guide,  who  had  de- 
serted them  at  the  time  of  the  panic,  returned,  claiming 
great  credit  for  keeping  the  promise  that  he  had  earlier 
made  to  them.  On  the  ist  of  July,  however,  he  left 
them  again,  with  his  companions,  and  went  up  the 
river.  The  old  man  they  still  had  with  them,  but  he 
was  anxious  to  get  away.  The  canoe  having  been  com- 
pleted and  proving  serviceable,  they  started  up  the 
river  from  this  island,  which  they  had  named  Canoe 
Island.  It  now  seemed  necessary  to  reduce  the  rations, 
again  cutting  the  people  down  to  two  meals  a  day, 
which  they  did  not  at  all  like.  Their  food  now  con- 
sisted chiefly  of  the  dried  roes  of  fish,  boiled  with  a  lit- 
tle flour  and  grain,  so  as  to  make  a  substantial  and  not 
unpleasant  dish.  At  Canoe  Island  flies  had  been  very 
troublesome,  so  that  Mackenzie  says,  "During  our 
stay  there  we  had  been  most  cruelly  tormented  by 
flies,  particularly  by  sand-flies,  which  I  am  disposed  to 
consider  as  the  most  tormenting  insect  of  its  kind  in 


nature." 


The  way  up  the  river  was  difficult,  often  impracti- 
cable for  paddles,  and  it  was  hard  to  use  a  tow-line 
on  account  of  the  steepness  of  the  banks.  On  July  3 
they  reached  a  point  which  answered  to  the  description 
of  the  place  where  they  should  leave  the  stream  to  go 
overland  to  the  west,  and  here  a  river  came  in,  which 
Mackenzie  calls  West  Road  River.  Some  of  the  men 
thought  it  would  be  better  to  keep  on  up  the  stream  a 
little  farther,  in  the  hope  of  finding  an  easier  crossing, 
although  at  this  point  there  was  a  beaten  trail.  They 


Alexander  Mackenzie  127 

proceeded,  therefore,  and  before  long  met  their  guide, 
who  apparently  had  twice  deserted.  He  was  accom- 
panied by  some  other  Indians,  called  Nascud  Denee, 
who  were  friendly,  and  who  declared  that  from  their 
village,  a  little  farther  up  the  stream,  the  road  to  the 
sea  was  short. 

On  reaching  the  place  where  they  were  to  leave  the 
river,  Mackenzie  cached  some  pemmican,  wild  rice, 
Indian  corn,  powder,  and  trade  goods,  and  also  took 
the  canoe  out  of  the  water,  placed  it  bottom  up  on  a 
platform  and  protected  it  as  well  as  possible.  They 
now  started  on  their  foot  journey,  carrying  about  four 
hundred  pounds  of  pemmican,  the  instruments,  some 
goods,  and  their  arms  and  ammunition. 

The  journey  westward  was  slow  and  difficult.  They 
met  many  people,  all  of  whom  were  friendly,  and  when 
their  guide  left  them,  as  he  did  in  a  day  or  two,  they 
succeeded  in  procuring  other  guides  for  short  dis- 
tances from  the  various  villages  that  they  passed,  and 
went  forward  with  comparatively  little  difficulty,  al- 
though the  almost  continuous  rain  was  unpleasant 
enough.  The  people  whom  they  met  as  they  proceeded 
showed  more  and  more  evidences  of  intercourse  with 
the  whites,  having  a  number  of  articles  obtained  by 
trade.  Most  of  these  people  seemed  to  belong  to  dif- 
ferent small  tribes  of  Athabaskan  stock.  They  seemed 
less  and  less  surprised  at  the  appearance  of  the  white 
men  and,  while  still  more  or  less  astonished  at  their 
fire-arms,  did  not  appear  to  be  frightened  by  the  explo- 
sions. Game  was  so  scarce  that  practically  none  was 


128  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

killed,  their  provisions  being  largely  fish,  obtained  from 
the  natives  or  caught  by  themselves.  The  killing  one 
day  of  two  eagles  and  three  gray  partridges  is  impor- 
tant enough  to  be  mentioned. 

Mackenzie  describes  in  considerable  detail  some  of 
the  houses  of  the  Indians  which  he  passed.  He  notes 
also,  on  July  14,  that  he  had  reached  a  place  where  it  is 
the  practice  of  the  Indians  to  burn  the  bodies  of  their 
dead.  On  the  I5th  they  fell  in  with  a  village  of  par- 
ticularly clean  and  attractive  people,  who  were  on  their 
way  to  the  sea  with  articles  for  trade  with  the  white 
people.  They  said  that  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the 
women  and  children  with  them  could  not  travel  fast 
it  would  be  three  days  before  they  could  reach  the  end 
of  their  journey.  This  was  welcome  news  to  the  ex- 
plorer. 

Before  they  had  gone  very  far,  however,  these  people 
changed  their  minds,  and  determined  to  go  to  the  sea 
by  a  different  and  somewhat  longer  route,  and  so  the 
white  men  separated  from  them,  having  procured  guides 
from  four  new  Indians,  who  had  just  joined  the  party 
and  belonged  to  a  tribe  Mackenzie  had  not  yet  seen. 

The  way  was  difficult,  full  of  swamps  and  fallen  tim- 
ber. Ground-hogs  were  seen,  and  a  number  of  them 
captured,  and  before  long  a  deer  was  killed.  They 
were  now  high  up  in  the  mountains,  and  were  march- 
ing through  the  snow.  The  country  became  very 
rough  and  they  travelled  along  precipices,  while  snow- 
covered  peaks  frowned  on  them  from  above.  On  these 
mountains,  according  to  their  guides,  were  many  ani- 


Alexander  Mackenzie  129 

mals,  which,   "from  their  description,   must  be  wild 
goats."     The  timber  grew  very  large. 

On  this  day  their  guide  hurried  ahead,  leaving  the 
laden  white  people  to  follow,  and  when  it  grew  dark 
the  men  were  anxious  to  stop  for  the  night,  but  Mac- 
kenzie pushed  on,  and  at  last  reached  a  village  where 
he  saw  fires  with  people  cooking  over  them.  He  en- 
tered a  house  and  shook  hands,  and  the  people  directed 
him  to  go  to  a  large  house,  where  he  was  cordially 
received  and  fed  with  roasted  salmon.  A  little  later 
they  were  regaled  on  salmon  roes,  pounded  fine,  beaten 
up  and  flavored  with  something  bitter,  which  we  may 
conjecture  to  have  been  soap  ollalie.  The  natives  here 
were  capturing  salmon  with  their  dip  nets  and  by  weirs. 
They  were  kindly  and  hospitable,  and  had  very  strong 
beliefs  and  feelings  with  regard  to  their  fish.  Mac- 
kenzie declared  that  they  never  taste  flesh,  and  that 
one  of  their  dogs  having  swallowed  part  of  a  bone  left 
at  the  camp-fire  was  beaten  by  his  master  till  he  dis- 
gorged it.  A  bone  having  been  thrown  into  the  river 
by  one  of  Mackenzie's  people,  a  young  man  dived, 
brought  it  up  and  put  it  in  the  fire,  and  then  proceeded 
to  wash  his  polluted  hands.  The  chief  of  the  tribe  de- 
clined to  let  the  white  men  have  a  canoe  because  they 
had  with  them  some  deer  meat,  which,  if  put  in  the 
canoe  on  their  river,  would  cause  the  fish  to  leave  the 
river,  so  that  the  people  must  starve.  Mackenzie 
asked  what  he  should  do  with  the  meat,  and  the  Indian 
told  him  to  give  it  to  a  native  present  who  belonged  to  a 
tribe  of  flesh  eaters.  The  canoe  was  then  loaned  them. 


130  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

These  people  seemed  to  belong  to  a  different  family 
from  the  Chipewyans;  at  least  Mackenzie  says  their 
language  appeared  to  have  no  resemblance  to  that  of 
the  Atnahs.  Seven  natives  with  two  canoes  took  the 
explorers  and  their  baggage  down  the  river.  They 
travelled  fast,  and  the  skill  of  the  Indians  greatly  im- 
pressed Mackenzie,  who  says:  "I  had  imagined  that 
the  Canadians  who  accompanied  me  were  the  most 
expert  canoe  men  in  the  world,  but  they  are  very  in- 
ferior to  these  people,  as  they  themselves  acknowledge, 
in  conducting  those  vessels." 

Just  above  a  village  the  whole  party  landed,  the  Ind- 
ians preceding  the  white  men  to  announce  their  ap- 
proach. When  they  reached  the  village  they  found  it 
in  a  turmoil,  the  natives  armed  and  rushing  about  ap- 
parently in  a  great  state  of  alarm.  There  was  nothing 
to  do  except  to  face  the  music,  and  Mackenzie  walked 
boldly  forward  into  the  midst  of  the  village,  when  most 
of  the  people  laid  aside  their  arms  and  came  forward 
to  meet  them.  He  shook  hands  with  those  nearest  to 
him,  when  suddenly  an  elderly  man  broke  through 
the  crowd  and  embraced  him,  as  did  also  a  younger 
man,  the  chief's  son.  Another  son  of  the  old  chief  ap- 
proached, and  as  Mackenzie  stepped  forward  to  shake 
hands  with  him  the  younger  fellow  broke  the  string 
of  a  handsome  robe  of  sea-otter  skin  which  he  had  on 
and  put  it  over  Mackenzie's  shoulders.  The  chief 
took  Mackenzie  to  his  house,  and  treated  him  in  a  most 
hospitable  manner.  He  was  offered  a  dish  made  of  the 
dried  inner  bark  of  the  hemlock  tree,  soaked  in  fresh 


Alexander  Mackenzie  131 

salmon  oil.  Food  was  plenty  here,  for  the  salmon  run 
was  at  its  height.  Fish  were  drying  on  lines  strung  all 
about  the  village.  These  people  were  also  very  care- 
ful that  nothing  should  be  done  to  alarm  their  fish. 
They  objected  to  water  being  taken  from  the  river  in 
an  iron  kettle,  on  the  ground  that  the  salmon  disliked 
the  smell  of  iron.  Wooden  boxes  for  holding  water 
were  given  the  explorers,  however.  Here  were  seen 
panels  made  of  thick  cedar  boards,  neatly  joined  and 
painted  with  hieroglyphics  and  figures  of  different  ani- 
mals, such  as  are  commonly  seen  on  the  coast. 

Here  Mackenzie  was  obliged  to  do  some  doctoring, 
and  he  describes  the  methods  of  the  native  physicians 
in  treating  their  patients. 

Mackenzie  had  several  times  asked  the  chief  for 
canoes  to  take  the  party  to  the  sea,  but  his  requests 
had  received  little  attention.  When,  however,  he  tried 
to  take  an  observation  the  chief  objected,  not,  appar- 
ently, because  the  natives  were  afraid  of  the  instru- 
ments, but  because  their  use  might  frighten  the  salmon 
from  that  part  of  the  river.  Just  as  they  were  about 
to  embark  in  the  large  canoe,  forty-five  feet  long,  four 
feet  wide,  and  three  and  a  half  feet  in  depth,  it  was  dis- 
covered that  an  axe  was  missing,  and  there  was  a  short 
halt.  Mackenzie's  resolution  procured  the  return  of 
the  axe,  and  they  went  on.  Villages  were  seen  along 
the  river,  and  once  or  twice  they  stopped.  The  people 
they  passed  seemed  to  have  more  and  more  articles  of 
European  manufacture,  and  they  treated  Mackenzie 
very  well.  On  the  evening  of  this  day,  at  a  village 


132  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

where  they  stopped,  Mackenzie  says,  "  I  could  perceive, 
personally,  the  termination  of  the  river  and  its  dis- 
charge into  an  arm  of  the  sea." 

The  Indians  now  seemed  unwilling  to  go  farther, 
but  two  of  them  were  persuaded  to  keep  on,  and,  tak- 
ing another  canoe,  about  eight  o'clock  on  Saturday, 
July  20,  they  left  the  river  and  reached  an  arm  of  the 
sea.  The  tide  was  out,  and  the  large  mud  flats,  sea- 
weed covered,  were  bare.  Gulls,  eagles,  and  ducks 
were  seen.  The  weather  was  boisterous,  and  before 
long  they  put  ashore  in  a  cove  for  the  night.  One  of 
the  young  natives  here  deserted,  but,  being  pursued, 
was  brought  back.  Since  they  had  left  the  river  por- 
poises and  sea-otter — or  seals — had  been  continually 
in  sight.  Fresh  water  was  had  from  streams  running 
down  the  mountains,  and  just  after  dark  the  young 
chief  from  up  the  river  came  into  camp  with  a  large 
porcupine,  which  was  eagerly  devoured  by  the  half- 
starved  men.  The  next  day  they  came  across  three 
canoes  with  fifteen  people,  one  of  whom  seemed  to  have 
had  some  trouble  with  white  men  not  long  before. 
The  people  they  now  met  were  somewhat  annoying,  for 
they  begged,  pilfered,  and  seemed  to  wish  to  see  every- 
thing that  the  white  men  possessed.  They  constantly 
spoke  of  a  white  man  named  Macubah,  very  likely 
meaning  Vancouver,  and  for  the  negative  distinctly 
answered  "No,  no." 

On  the  face  of  a  rock  at  this  point  Mackenzie  in- 
scribed, with  vermilion,  a  brief  note,  "Alexander  Mac- 
kenzie, from  Canada,  by  land,  the  22d  July,  1793." 


Alexander  Mackenzie  133 

Here  also  he  was  able  to  establish  his  position  with 
some  exactness,  and  this  done  he  started  to  return. 
At  a  village  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  a  number  of 
people  rushed  toward  Mackenzie,  apparently  about  to 
attack  him,  and  it  seemed  that  these  were  the  ones  who 
had  been  fired  on  by  the  white  people  not  long  before. 
Mackenzie  stood  ready  with  his  gun,  and  the  Indians, 
seeing  his  attitude,  dropped  their  knives.  There  was 
something  of  a  scuffle,  though  Mackenzie  was  unin- 
jured, and  the  Indians  made  off  with  his  hat  and  cloak. 
After  a  little  while,  the  young  chief  returning,  ex- 
plained that  the  men  belonging  to  the  canoes  which 
had  met  them  below  in  an  inlet,  had  declared  that 
the  white  people  had  killed  four  of  their  party.  An 
explanation  that  this  statement  was  false  brought 
about  a  hollow  truce,  but  relations  were  still  some- 
what strained.  The  Indians  brought  them  food, 
however,  and  gave  them  setting  poles,  all  of  which 
were  paid  for. 

Mackenzie's  people  were  very  much  frightened,  and 
were  determined  to  leave  the  canoe  and  to  start  on 
foot  over  the  mountains.  So  firm  was  this  resolution 
that  they  threw  everything  that  they  had,  except  their 
blankets,  into  the  river.  Mackenzie,  however,  with  his 
usual  patience  and  resolution,  set  to  work  to  guide  them 
in  the  right  way,  and  declaring  that,  now  he  had  ac- 
complished his  object,  he  had  no  other  object  but  the 
common  safety,  that  he  wished  to  return  in  the  easiest 
and  safest  way,  and  that  one  of  their  party  was  sick 
and  could  not  travel,  and  that  they  must  stay  with 


134  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

him.  The  result  of  this  was  that  his  people  agreed 
that  they  would  continue  to  follow  him;  but  sev- 
eral of  them  declared  that  they  would  not  again  enter 
the  canoe,  of  which  they  were  much  afraid.  Five  men, 
therefore,  including  Mackenzie  and  the  sick  Indian, 
entered  the  canoe,  and  made  their  slow  way  up  the 
river.  When  they  came  in  sight  of  a  house  they  saw 
the  young  Indian,  who  had  left  them  a  day  or  two 
before,  coming  toward  them  with  six  people  in  a  canoe. 
This  encouraged  them,  as  showing  that  the  natives  who 
had  been  spreading  here  reports  about  them  had  not 
been  listened  to.  At  this  village  they  were  treated  well. 
At  the  main  village  above,  the  old  chief  received  them 
as  cordially  as  before,  and  fed  them  on  fish  and  berries. 
Farther  up  the  river  it  appeared  that  a  sick  man,  to 
whom  Mackenzie  had  given  some  simple  remedy,  had 
died,  and  it  was  feared  that  the  death  might  have  been 
attributed  to  this  remedy.  Above  this  point  they  again 
took  to  the  trail.  They  were  very  suspicious  of  the 
Indians,  as  the  Indians  were  of  them,  and  were  con- 
stantly alarmed;  and  a  panic  in  one  party  was  suc- 
ceeded by  a  panic  in  the  other.  At  other  villages  they 
were  kindly  received,  and  various  presents  were  given 
them,  and  Mackenzie  devotes  many  pages  to  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  habits  of  these  people.  When  they  left  the 
friendly  village  each  man  carried  about  twenty  pounds 
of  fish,  and  they  also  had  a  little  flour  and  some  pem- 
mican.  The  sick  Indian  was  slightly  better,  but  could 
not  travel  fast,  and  in  crossing  rapids  or  difficult  streams 
Mackenzie  carried  him  on  his  back. 


Alexander  Mackenzie  135 

It  was  now  the  last  of  July,  the  weather  was  warmer, 
the  grass  green,  and  the  wild  fruits  ripe.  High  up  on 
the  mountains,  though,  the  snow  still  clung,  and  the 
frost  was  hard.  They  were  now  marching  fast,  and  as 
they  went  along  they  recovered  from  time  to  time  the 
provisions  that  they  had  hid  on  their  westward  jour- 
ney. On  the  4th  of  August  they  reached  the  place 
where  they  had  left  their  canoe,  and  found  all  their 
property  in  good  order.  There  was  not  a  footprint 
near  their  cache.  The  Indians  whom  they  met  near 
at  hand  were  frightened  at  first,  but  soon  became 
friendly.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  they  had  left 
the  property  of  the  explorer  absolutely  untouched,  they 
took  away  from  the  camp  a  variety  of  small  articles, 
which  Mackenzie  recovered  by  informing  them  that  the 
salmon,  which  was  their  favorite  food  and  necessary  to 
their  existence,  came  from  the  sea  which  belonged  to 
the  white  men,  and  that  since  at  the  entrance  of  the 
river  it  was  possible  to  prevent  those  fish  from  coming 
up  it,  the  white  man  possessed  the  power  to  starve  the 
Indians  and  their  children.  "  To  avert  our  anger,  there- 
fore, they  must  return  all  the  articles  which  had  been 
stolen  from  us.  This  finesse  succeeded." 

On  the  6th  of  August,  they  embarked  in  their  canoe 
on  their  return  journey.  The  stream  was  full  of  sal- 
mon, and  the  work  of  pushing  up  the  river  was  slow 
and  difficult,  but  they  were  on  the  march  toward  home. 
Rains  were  frequent,  but  not  long  continued.  On  the 
1 5th  they  reached  the  place  where  the  canoe  had  been 
wrecked  on  the  I3th  of  June,  and  made  unsuccessful 


136  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

search  for  the  bag  of  balls  then  lost.  The  following  day 
they  came  to  the  Continental  Divide,  and  it  was  here 
that  Mackenzie  had  the  thought  of  transferring  some 
living  salmon  from  the  head  of  the  Columbia  to  that  of 
the  Peace  River.  But,  like  most  of  his  men,  he  was 
now  in  pretty  bad  condition  from  privation,  excessive 
labor  and  cold,  and  he  was  unable  to  carry  out  the  de- 
sire. On  the  i /th  they  carried  across  from  the  little 
lake  to  Peace  River,  and  started  down  that  stream. 
The  passage  was  swift,  and  on  the  i8th  they  went  down 
in  one  day  what  it  had  taken  them  seven  to  come  up. 

They  were  now  again  reduced  to  a  short  allowance 
of  food,  and  Mr.  Mackay  and  the  Indians  were  sent 
ahead  to  try  and  kill  something,  while  the  remainder  of 
the  party  began  to  repair  the  canoe  and  to  carry  the 
baggage  around  the  rapid,  which,  on  their  ascent,  they 
had  called  Rocky  Mountain  Portage.  About  sunset 
Mr.  Mackay  returned  with  the  flesh  of  a  buffalo,  and 
we  may  imagine  the  sensations  of  these  northmen  when 
they  again  put  their  teeth  into  this  familiar  food.  The 
journey  down  the  river  continued  swift,  and  they  were 
careful  to  land  at  the  head  of  each  rapids  and  inspect 
it,  but  the  canoe  being  light  they  passed  over  most 
places  without  difficulty.  The  hunters  killed  fat  meat, 
and  Mackenzie  gives  an  idea  of  the  appetites  by  say- 
ing that,  in  three  meals,  ten  people  and  a  dog  ate  up 
an  elk. 

On  the  23d  they  were  passing  through  a  beautiful 
country  full  of  buffalo,  and  on  this  day  they  killed  a 
buffalo  and  a  bear.  On  the  24th  of  August  they  rounded 


Alexander  Mackenzie  137 

a  point  and  came  in  view  of  the  fort.  "We  threw  out 
our  flag  and  accompanied  it  with  a  general  discharge 
of  fire-arms,  while  the  men  were  in  such  spirits,  and 
made  such  an  active  use  of  their  paddles,  that  we 
arrived  before  the  two  men  whom  we  left  here  in  the 
spring  could  recover  their  senses  to  answer  us.  Thus 
we  landed  at  four  in  the  afternoon  at  the  place  which 
we  left  on  the  Qth  of  May.  Here  my  voyages  of  dis- 
covery terminate.  Their  toils  and  their  dangers,  their 
solicitudes  and  sufferings  have  not  been  exaggerated  in 
my  descriptions.  ...  I  received,  however,  the  reward 
of  my  labors,  for  they  were  crowned  with  success." 


CHAPTER   VIII 
LEWIS  AND  CLARK 


MOST  famous  of  all  the  pathfinders  of  the  United 
States  are  Lewis  and  Clark,  explorers  of  the 
Missouri  River  to  its  headwaters,  and  of  the 
Columbia  from  the  heads  of  some  of  its  chief  tribu- 
taries to  the   Pacific;    and  thus  the  spanners  of  the 
continent.     They    were   not,   it   is    true,   the   first  to 
traverse  the  wilderness  which  lay  between  the  Atlantic 
and  the  Pacific,  but  of  those  who  bore  the  name  Ameri- 
can they  were  the  first. 

In  1803  Louisiana  was  ceded  by  France  to  the  United 
States  for  the  sum  of  about  fifteen  millions  of  dollars; 
but  its  boundaries  were  entirely  uncertain,  and  neither 
the  nation  which  sold  nor  that  which  bought  knew  what 
this  territory  included,  how  far  it  extended  north  or 
south  or  west,  nor  who  nor  what  were  its  inhabitants. 
It  was  certain  that  there  were  a  few  French,  Spaniards, 
and  Creoles,  besides  some  Americans,  English,  and 
Germans,  and  the  slaves  which  they  possessed.  Little 
was  known  of  the  country,  save  for  a  short  distance 
beyond  the  Mississippi  River;  and  it  was  obviously 

138 


Lewis  and  Clark  139 

important  to  the  new  owners  of  the  land  to  find  out  at 
once  what  the  purchase  meant  to  the  United  States. 

One  thing  seemed  certain:  the  population  of  the 
United  States,  which  had  already  spread  far  beyond 
the  Allegheny  Mountains,  was  constantly  increasing 
and  constantly  pushing  westward.  The  encroachments 
of  the  whites  on  the  territory  occupied  by  various  tribes 
of  the  Indians  were  continual,  and  the  Indians,  natu- 
rally enough,  resented,  and  sometimes  resisted,  these 
encroachments.  Here,  west  of  the  Mississippi  River, 
was  a  vast  territory,  unoccupied  save  by  Indian  tribes, 
many  of  which  were  wanderers.  The  population  of 
this  unoccupied  territory  was  so  sparse  that  no  doubt  it 
seemed  to  President  Jefferson  that  here  was  room  for 
all  the  Indians  east  of  the  Mississippi,  and  one  of  his 
first  acts  after  the  cession  was  concluded,  was  to  at- 
tempt to  learn  what  he  could  with  regard  to  the  oc- 
cupancy of  this  territory,  presumably  in  the  hope  that 
all  the  Indians  east  of  the  Mississippi  might  be  per- 
suaded to  move  westward  beyond  the  river. 

Besides  this,  Jefferson  had  already — more  than  ten 
years  before — endeavored  to  send  out  men  to  cross  the 
continent  to  the  Pacifice  coast,  but  the  effort  had  failed. 
But  in  January,  1803,  before  the  completion  of  the 
purchase  of  Louisiana,  he  attempted  this  once  more, 
recommending  to  Congress  the  despatching  of  a  party 
to  trace  the  Missouri  River  to  its  source,  and  to  go  thence 
to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

It  is  impossible  for  any  man  now  living  to  conceive 
what  such  an  expedition  must  have  meant  to  the  men 


140  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

who  were  to  command  it.  Here  was  a  vast  and  un- 
known territory  of  indefinite  width,  peopled  by  un- 
known inhabitants,  uncertain  as  to  its  food  supply, 
containing  unknown  dangers  and  obstacles,  which  must 
be  crossed  on  foot — though  the  journey  should  be  be- 
gun by  boat.  It  is  true  that  the  rumors  long  before 
brought  back  from  the  upper  Mississippi  Valley  by 
Carver  suggested  waterways  across  the  continent,  but 
these  were  no  more  than  rumors,  and  were  mingled 
with  an  amount  of  fable  which  cast  doubt  on  the 
whole  story. 

Carver's  reflections  on  the  Shining  Mountains,  al- 
ready quoted,  were  the  most  definite  statements  that 
Jefferson  or  his  explorers  could  have  had  of  that  far 
Western  country.  It  is  true  that  a  few  Hudson's  Bay 
men  had  already  penetrated  as  far  west  as  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  which  Mackenzie  had  crossed  ten  years 
before,  yet  it  may  be  doubted  whether  any  definite 
knowledge  of  this  great  achievement  had  as  yet 
reached  Washington. 

The  journey  which  Lewis  and  Clark  were  to  make 
was  into  a  wilderness  less  known  than  any  that  we  in 
our  day  can  conceive  of. 

The  two  men  prepared  to  carry  out  their  orders  and 
there  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  they  felt  any  doubt 
of  their  own  success.  Both  came  of  good,  old-fashioned 
fighting  and  exploring  stock  and  they  and  all  their 
men  were  made  of  the  stuff"  which  constituted  the  old- 
time  Americans.  Theirs  was  the  sturdy  independence, 
the  unshrinking  courage  and  dogged  perseverance  in 


Lewis  and  Clark  141 

the  face  of  difficulty  which  gave  to  America  its  Daniel 
Boone,  its  David  Crockett,  and  its  Zebulon  M.  Pike; 
and  they  set  out  with  eagerness  on  their  journey. 

The  expedition  started  late  in  the  year  1803,  and 
proceeded  up  the  river  by  boat.  There  were  about 
forty-five  men  at  the  start,  of  whom  twenty-five  were 
soldiers,  the  whole  company  being  enlisted  as  soldiers 
a  little  later.  The  baggage  of  the  outfit  consisted 
chiefly  of  ammunition,  together  with  goods  to  be  used 
as  presents  for  the  Indians.  The  transportation  con- 
sisted of  boats;  one  a  keel  boat,  fifty-five  feet  long, 
drawing  three  feet  of  water,  fitted  for  twenty-two  oars 
and  a  sail;  the  other  two  were  pirogues,  open  boats, 
dug-outs  no  doubt,  one  of  six,  the  other  of  seven  oars. 
There  were  two  horses,  which  were  to  be  taken  along 
the  bank  for  the  purpose  of  hunting  in  time  of  scarcity, 
or  for  bringing  in  game  that  was  killed. 

Having  wintered  at  Wood  River,  in  Illinois,  the  start 
was  made  on  the  I4th  of  May,  1804.  At  first  their 
progress  was  not  rapid.  Nevertheless,  before  long  they 
came  to  the  country  of  the  Osages.  The  story  given 
of  the  origin  of  the  tribe  is  worth  repeating:  "Accord- 
ing to  universal  belief,  the  founder  of  the  nation  was 
a  snail,  passing  a  quiet  existence  along  the  banks  of 
the  Osage,  till  a  high  flood  swept  him  down  to  the  Mis- 
souri and  left  him  exposed  on  the  shore.  The  heat 
of  the  sun  at  length  ripened  him  into  a  man;  but  with 
the  change  of  his  nature  he  had  not  forgotten  his  native 
seats  on  the  Osage,  toward  which  he  immediately  bent 
his  way.  He  was,  however,  soon  overtaken  by  hun- 


142  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

ger  and  fatigue,  when,  happily,  the  Great  Spirit  ap- 
peared and,  giving  him  a  bow  and  arrow,  showed  him 
how  to  kill  and  cook  deer,  and  cover  himself  with  the 
skin.  He  then  proceeded  to  his  original  residence;  but 
as  he  approached  the  river  he  was  met  by  a  beaver, 
who  inquired,  haughtily,  who  he  was  and  by  what 
authority  he  came  to  disturb  his  possession.  The 
Osage  answered  that  the  river  was  his  own,  for  he  had 
once  lived  on  its  borders.  As  they  stood  disputing,  the 
daughter  of  the  beaver  came,  and  having  by  her  en- 
treaties reconciled  her  father  to  this  young  stranger,  it 
was  proposed  that  the  Osage  should  marry  the  young 
beaver  and  share  with  her  family  the  enjoyment  of  the 
river.  The  Osage  readily  consented,  and  from  this 
happy  union  there  soon  came  the  village  and  the  na- 
tion of  the  Wasbasha,  or  Osages,  who  have  ever  since 
preserved  a  pious  reverence  for  their  ancestors,  abstain- 
ing from  the  chase  of  the  beaver,  because  in  killing  that 
animal  they  killed  a  brother  of  the  Osage." 

Struggling  on  northward,  Lewis  and  Clark  passed  the 
Otoes  and  Missourias,  and  on  June  25  reached  the 
mouth  of  the  Kansas — named  from  the  Indians  living 
on  its  banks — three  hundred  and  forty  miles  from  the 
Mississippi.  Game  was  abundant,  and  there  are  allu- 
sions to  deer,  elk,  and  buffalo.  At  the  mouth  of  the 
Platte  River  they  sent  out  messengers  to  bring  in  Ind- 
ians, since  a  portion  of  their  duty  was  to  endeavor  to 
make  peace  among  the  different  tribes  they  met  with. 
Otoes  and  Pawnees  lived  not  far  off,  one  of  the  Pawnee 
villages  being  then  on  the  Platte,  while  another  was  on 


Lewis  and  Clark  143 

the  Republican,  and  a  third  on  the  Wolf— now  known 
as  the  Loup  River.  Incidental  reference  is  here  made 
to  several  tribes  which  wandered  and  hunted  on  the 
heads  of  the  Platte  River,  and  thence  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains. 

One  of  these,  called  the  Staitan  or  Kite  Indians,  is 
said  to  have  acquired  the  name  of  Kite  from  their 
flying;  that  is,  from  "their  being  always  on  horse- 
back/' These  Indians  were,  of  course,  the  Suhtai — 
Suhtai,  tribal  name,  and  hetan,  man.  In  other  words, 
when  some  Indian  was  asked  his  name  or  the  name  of 
his  tribe,  he  replied:  "I  am  a  man  of  the  Suhtai," 
and  this  the  explorers  supposed  was  a  tribal  name.  At 
that  time  the  tribe  was  still  living  as  an  independent 
tribe,  though  about  a  generation  later  they  joined  the 
Cheyennes  and  finally  became  absorbed  by  them.  So 
complete  is  this  absorption  that  the  Suhtai  language, 
formerly  a  well-marked  dialect  of  the  Cheyenne,  dif- 
fering from  it  apparently  almost  as  much  as  the  Ari- 
kara  dialect  differs  from  the  Pawnee,  has  been  almost 
wholly  lost.  At  the  present  day  only  a  few  of  the 
older  Cheyennes  can  recall  any  of  its  words.  These 
Indians  were  said  to  be  extremely  ferocious,  and  the 
most  warlike  of  all  the  Western  Indians;  they  never 
yielded  in  battle,  nor  spared  their  enemies,  and  the 
retaliation  for  this  barbarity  had  almost  extinguished 
the  nation.  After  these,  according  to  our  authors,  come 
the  Wetapahato  and  Kiawa  tribes,  associated  together, 
and  amounting  to  two  hundred  men.  Wetapahato  is  the 
Sioux  name  for  the  Kiowas,  which  the  Cheyennes  have 


144  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

abbreviated  to  Witapat.  Other  tribes  are  mentioned, 
hardly  now  to  be  identified. 

On  July  31  a  party  of  Otoe  and  Missouria  Indians 
came  to  their  camp,  and  on  the  following  day  a  coun- 
cil was  held,  at  which  presents,  medals,  and  other  orna- 
ments were  given  to  the  Indians.  The  point  where  this 
council  was  held  was  given  the  name  Council  Bluffs, 
and  it  stands  to-day  across  the  river  from  Omaha, 
Nebraska.  A  little  farther  up  the  river  they  reached 
an  old  Omaha  village,  once  consisting  of  three  hundred 
cabins,  but  it  had  been  burned  about  1799,  soon  after 
the  small-pox  had  destroyed  four  hundred  men  and  a 
proportion  of  the  women  and  children.  This  dread 
disease  gave  the  Omahas  the  worst  blow  that  they  had 
ever  received,  and,  perhaps  even  as  much  as  their  wars 
with  the  Pawnees,  reduced  them  to  a  tributary  people. 
On  August  1 6,  two  parties  were  sent  out  to  catch  fish 
on  a  little  stream.  "They  made  a  drag  with  small  wil- 
lows and  bark,  and  swept  the  creek;  the  first  company 
brought  three  hundred  and  eighteen,  and  the  second 
upward  of  eight  hundred,  consisting  of  pike,  bass,  fish 
resembling  salmon,  trout,  redhorse,  buffalo,  one  rock- 
fish,  one  flatback,  perch,  catfish,  a  small  species  of 
perch,  called  on  the  Ohio  silverfish,  and  a  shrimp  of 
the  same  size,  shape,  and  flavor  of  those  about  New 
Orleans  and  the  lower  part  of  the  Mississippi." 

A  few  days  before,  one  of  their  Frenchmen  had  de- 
serted, and  the  commanding  officers  had  sent  out  men 
to  capture  him.  This  they  succeeded  in  doing,  but  the 
man  subsequently  escaped  again.  On  the  i8th  they 


Lewis  and  Clark  145 

received  another  party  of  Indians — Otoes  and  Missou- 
rias.  The  next  day  the  first  death  occurred  in  the  ex- 
pedition, that  of  Charles  Floyd,  who  was  buried  on 
the  top  of  the  hill,  and  his  grave  marked  by  a  cedar 
post. 

The  post  which  marked  Floyd's  grave  had  been 
thrown  down  by  the  winds  before  1839,  but  was  set 
up  again  by  Joseph  Nicollet  in  that  year.  All  the 
time,  however,  the  Missouri  River  was  eating  into  the 
bank  toward  the  grave,  and  in  the  spring  of  1857  the 
high  water  undermined  a  part  of  the  bluff  and  left 
Floyd's  coffin  exposed.  When  this  became  known  at 
Sioux  City,  a  party  visited  the  grave  and  rescued  the 
bones,  reinterring  them  six  hundred  feet  back  from 
the  first  grave.  This  spot  was  lost  again  in  the  course 
of  the  years,  but  was  rediscovered  in  1895,  an(^  finally 
in  1901  a  permanent  monument  of  white  stone  was 
erected  to  the  first  citizen  soldier  of  the  United  States 
to  die  and  be  buried  within  the  Louisiana  Purchase, 
and  the  only  man  lost  on  the  Lewis  and  Clark  expedi- 
tion. 

Farther  up  the  stream,  beyond  the  mouth  of  the 
Big  Sioux  River,  they  killed  their  first  buffalo.  Near 
the  mouth  of  the  Whitestone  they  found  a  curious 
mound,  described  as  a  regular  parallelogram,  the 
longest  side  being  three  hundred  yards,  and  the  shorter 
sixty  or  seventy.  It  rises  sixty-five  or  seventy  feet 
above  the  plain,  and  shows  at  the  summit  a  level 
plain  about  twelve  feet  in  breadth  and  ninety  in  length. 
This,  according  to  the  Sioux,  was  called  the  Hill  of  the 


146  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

Little  People,  and  "  they  believe  that  it  is  the  abode  of 
little  devils,  in  the  human  form,  of  about  eighteen  inches 
high,  and  with  remarkably  large  heads;  they  are  armed 
with  sharp  arrows,  with  which  they  are  very  skilful, 
and  are  always  on  the  watch  to  kill  those  who  should 
have  the  hardihood  to  approach  their  residence."  Many 
Indians  have  been  killed  by  these  spirits,  and,  among 
"others,  three  Omaha  Indians,  only  a  few  years  before. 
The  Sioux,  Omahas,  and  Otoes  are  so  afraid  of  the 
place  that  they  never  visit  it." 

The  wind  blows  so  strongly  over  the  plain  in  which 
this  mound  stands  that  insects  are  obliged  to  seek 
shelter  on  its  leeward  side,  or  be  driven  against  it. 
The  little  birds  which  feed  on  these  insects  resort  there 
in  great  numbers  to  pick  them  up.  There  the  brown 
martin  was  so  employed,  and  the  birds  were  so  tame 
that  they  would  not  fly  until  closely  approached. 

At  Calumet  Bluff  the  party  was  visited  by  a  number 
of  Yankton  Sioux,  brought  in  by  Sergeant  Pryor  and 
his  party,  who  had  gone  to  the  village  to  induce  them 
to  come  to  the  river.  A  council  was  held  with  these 
Indians  and  presents  given  them;  and  in  the  evening 
the  Indians  danced  for  the  entertainment  of  the  white 
men.  To  the  Durions — Frenchmen  who  were  trading 
with  these  Indians — presents  were  given;  and  they  were 
requested  to  try  to  make  peace  between  the  Yanktons 
and  their  enemies. 

Reference  is  made  to  the  soldier  bands  of  the  Sioux 
and  Cheyennes,  though  without  much  comprehension 
of  what  this  organization  is.  It  is  spoken  of  in  these 


Lewis  and  Clark  147 

terms:  "It  is  an  association  of  the  most  active  and 
brave  young  men,  who  are  bound  to  each  other  by  at- 
tachment, secured  by  a  vow  never  to  retreat  before  any 
danger  or  give  way  to  their  enemies.  In  war  they  go 
forward  without  sheltering  themselves  behind  trees  or 
aiding  their  natural  valor  by  any  artifice.  This  punc- 
tilious determination  not  to  be  turned  from  their  course 
became  heroic  or  ridiculous  a  short  time  since,  when 
the  Yanktons  were  crossing  the  Missouri  on  the  ice. 
A  hole  lay  immediately  in  their  course,  which  might 
easily  have  been  avoided  by  going  round.  This  the 
foremost  of  the  band  disdained  to  do,  but  went  straight 
forward,  and  was  lost.  The  others  would  have  fol- 
lowed his  example,  but  were  forcibly  prevented  by  the 
rest  of  the  tribe.  The  young  men  sit,  and  encamp,  and 
dance  together,  distinct  from  the  rest  of  the  nation; 
they  are  generally  about  thirty  or  thirty-five  years  old, 
and  such  is  the  deference  paid  to  courage  that  their 
seats  in  council  are  superior  to  those  of  the  chiefs,  and 
their  persons  more  respected.  But,  as  may  be  sup- 
posed, such  indiscreet  bravery  will  soon  diminish  the 
numbers  of  those  who  practice  it,  so  that  the  band  is 
now  reduced  to  four  warriors,  who  were  among  our 
visitors.  These  were  the  remains  of  twenty-two,  who 
composed  the  society  not  long  ago;  but,  in  a  battle 
with  the  Kite  Indians  of  the  Black  Mountains,  eighteen 
of  them  were  killed,  and  these  four  were  dragged  from 
the  field  by  their  companions." 

Warrior  societies,  or,  as  they  are  more  often  termed, 
soldier  bands,  existed  among  all  the  plains  tribes.     In 


148  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

some  tribes  there  might  be  only  four,  in  others  a  dozen 
or  fifteen,  such  societies.  They  were  police  officers, 
and  among  their  important  duties  was  the  seeing  that 
orders  of  the  chiefs  were  obeyed. 

The  list  of  the  Sioux  tribes  here  given  includes  the 
Yanktons,  the  Tetons  of  the  Burned  Woods — now 
called  B  rules;  the  Tetons  Okandandas — now  known 
as  Ogallalas;  the  Teton  Minnakenozzo — Minnecon- 
jous ;  the  Teton  Saone — Santees  ;  Yanktons  of  the 
Plains — Yanktonnaies;  the  Mindawar carton — Minne- 
wakaton;  the  Wahpatoota — Wahpatones;  the  Sista- 
soone — Sissetons. 

Not  far  beyond  Calumet  Bluffs  were  found  extraor- 
dinary earthworks,  said  by  the  explorers  and  French 
interpreters  to  be  common  on  the  Platte,  the  Kansas, 
and  the  James  rivers.  The  Poncas  were  next  passed, 
above  La  Riviere  qui  Court — the  Niobrara.  These 
are  said  to  have  been  largely  reduced  in  numbers  by 
the  attacks  of  their  enemies,  and  to  be  now  associating 
with  the  Omahas,  and  residing  on  the  head  of  the  Loup 
and  the  Running  Water.  Above  here  the  first  prairie 
dogs  were  seen;  and  not  long  after  they  were  rejoined 
by  one  of  their  men  who,  twelve  days  before,  had  been 
sent  off  after  lost  horses,  and,  having  found  them,  had 
been  wandering  along  the  river  for  twelve  days,  seeking 
his  party.  Mention  is  made  on  September  17  of  a 
great  prairie  dog  town,  and  it  is  told  that  their  presence 
here  enticed  to  this  place  "wolves  of  a  small  kind, 
hawks,  and  polecats,  all  of  which  animals  we  saw,  and 
presume  that  they  fed  on  the  squirrels."  The  whole 


Lewis  and  Clark  149 

country  here  had  recently  been  burned,  and  was  now 
covered  with  young  grass,  on  which  herds  of  antelope 
and  buffalo  were  feeding. 

On  the  2Oth  the  party  had  a  narrow  escape  from 
being  buried  under  a  falling  bank,  undermined  by  the 
river.  On  this  day  a  fort  and  a  large  trading  house 
built  by  Mr.  Loizel  for  the  purpose  of  trading  with  the 
Sioux  was  passed  on  Cedar  Island,  and  the  following 
day  Indians  stole  one  of  their  horses.  They  had  now 
come  to  the  country  of  the  Teton  Indians,  and,  holding 
a  council  with  them,  had  more  or  less  trouble,  which 
would  undoubtedly  have  resulted  in  righting  had  it  not 
been  for  the  prudence  of  Captain  Clark.  The  Indians 
were  insolent,  and  were  disposed  to  go  just  as  far  as  per- 
mitted in  annoying  the  white  people.  However,  they 
were  not  allowed  to  impose  on  the  party,  and  a  short 
distance  above  this  the  main  Teton  village  was  passed, 
and  here  Captains  Lewis  and  Clark  were  met  at  the 
river  bank  by  ten  young  men,  who  carried  them  on 
buffalo  robes  to  the  large  house  where  the  council  was 
to  be  held — an  evidence  of  the  highest  respect. 

The  custom  of  carrying  a  person  who  was  to  be  highly 
honored  on  a  robe  or  blanket  by  young  men  is  very 
old.  It  was  practised  to  show  honor  to  aged  or  brave 
people,  and  also  if  two  young  people  of  good  family 
were  about  to  be  married,  the  young  girl,  as  she  drew 
near  the  home  of  the  bridegroom's  parents,  riding  on  a 
horse  led  by  some  old  kinswoman,  was  often  met 
by  young  men  related  to  the  bridegroom,  who  spread 
down  a  robe  or  blanket,  assisted  her  from  her  horse, 


150  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

asked  her  to  sit  down  on  the  robe,  and  then  carried  her 
to  the  lodge  of  her  future  husband. 

In  the  shelter  where  they  met  were  about  seventy 
men,  sitting  about  the  chief,  before  whom  were  placed 
a  Spanish  flag  and  an  American  flag  which  Lewis  and 
Clark  had  given  him.  Within  the  circle  was  the  pipe, 
supported  on  two  forked  sticks,  about  six  or  eight  inches 
from  the  ground,  and  beneath  the  pipe  was  scattered 
the  down  of  a  swan.  Food  was  cooking  over  the  fire, 
and  near  the  kettle  a  large  amount  of  buffalo  meat, 
intended  as  a  present.  The  feast  consisted  of  a  dog, 
pemmican,  and  pomme  blanche,  and  was  ladled  into 
wooden  dishes  with  a  horn  spoon.  After  eating  and 
smoking,  a  number  of  dances  were  performed.  Con- 
cerning these,  the  very  incorrect  opinion  is  expressed: 
"Nor  does  the  music  appear  to  be  anything  more  than  a 
a  confusion  of  noises,  distinguished  only  by  hard  or 
gentle  blows  upon  a  buffalo  skin;  the  song  is  perfectly 
extemporaneous."  It  is,  of  course,  now  well  known 
that  these  songs  and  dances  are  always  the  same,  and 
never,  by  any  chance,  change. 

It  is  noted  that  these  Indians,  who  appear  to  have 
been  Ogallalas,  had  then  a  fashion  of  dressing  the  hair 
different  from  anything  recently  known.  The  journal 
says:  "The  men  shaved  the  hair  off  their  heads,  ex- 
cept a  small  tuft  on  the  top,  which  they  suffered  to 
grow,  and  wore  in  plaits  over  the  shoulders.  To  this 
they  seemed  much  attached,  as  the  loss  of  it  is  the  usual 
sacrifice  at  the  death  of  near  relations."  The  dress  of 
men  and  women  is  described,  and  it  is  noted  that  the 


Lewis  and  Clark  151 

fire-bags  of  these  Sioux  were  made  of  the  dressed  skins 
of  skunks.  The  women's  dresses  were  not  very  unlike 
that  of  recent  times. 

The  Sioux  met  along  the  river  by  Lewis  and  Clark 
were  new-comers  in  that  country.  It  is  true  that  twenty- 
five  years  before  a  few  Sioux  had  crossed  the  Missouri 
River  and  had  gone  as  far  west  as  the  Black  Hills — 
which  are  constantly  spoken  of  by  Lewis  and  Clark 
as  the  Black  Mountains.  But  it  is  also  true  that  up 
to  about  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  few  or 
no  Sioux  had  crossed  the  Missouri  River  who  remained 
permanently  on  the  west  bank.  The  accounts  of  many 
modern  writers  on  Indian  matters  seem  to  imply  that 
from  time  immemorial  the  Dakotas  had  roamed  the 
Western  plains,  but  it  is  well  known  by  those  who  have 
given  attention  to  the  subject  that  this  is  not  at  all 
true;  that  the  Sioux  are  a  people  of  the  East,  and  the 
tribal  traditions  constantly  speak  of  their  migration 
from  the  country  of  the  rising  sun. 

After  four  days  spent  with  these  Indians,  prepara- 
tions were  made  to  proceed  up  the  river;  but  the  Indians 
did  not  seem  willing  to  let  them  go.  They  did  not 
show  any  particular  hostility,  but  were  extremely  irri- 
tating, and  put  the  white  men  to  so  much  trouble  that 
they  were  obliged  to  threaten  them  with  fighting. 
Even  after  they  had  at  last  succeeded  in  starting  on 
their  journey,  these  Sioux  followed  them  along  the  river, 
and  continued  to  annoy  them. 

Not  very  far  above  the  point  where  they  were  troubled 
by  the  Sioux  they  came  on  a  village  of  Arikaras,  with 


1 52  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

whom  some  Frenchmen  were  living,  and  among  them  a 
Monsieur  Gravelines.  This  man  brought  together  the 
Ankara  chiefs  for  a  conference,  in  which  speeches  were 
made  to  them  similar  to  those  already  uttered  to  the  In- 
dians down  the  river.  Some  presents  were  given,  but 
the  offer  of  liquor  was  declined,  the  Indians  saying  that 
they  were  surprised  that  their  father  should  present  to 
them  a  liquor  which  would  make  them  fools.  From 
the  Indians  were  received  presents  of  corn,  beans,  and 
squashes.  The  following  day  other  councils  were  had 
at  other  villages  of  the  Rees;  and  the  explorers  finally 
left  them  to  go  on  their  way.  The  history  of  this  tribe 
is  given  with  substantial  accuracy,  and  much  is  said 
about  their  habits  and  their  good  disposition. 

Farther  up  the  river  a  camp  of  Sioux  was  passed, 
and  beyond  them  a  stream  called  Stone-Idol  Creek. 
This  name  was  given  from  the  discovery  that  "a  few 
miles  back  from  the  Missouri  there  are  two  stones  re- 
sembling human  figures,  and  a  third  like  a  dog;  all  of 
which  are  objects  of  great  veneration  among  the  Ari- 
karas." 

While  nothing  is  said  about  the  size  of  these  figures, 
one  wonders  whether  the  reference  may  not  be  to 
that  stone  figure  known  as  the  Standing  Rock,  con- 
cerning which  the  Yankton  Sioux  have  a  tradition. 
We  have  not  heard  of  the  figure  of  a  man  in  connection 
with  the  Standing  Rock,  but  there  was  certainly  the 
figure  of  a  woman  and  of  a  dog,  and  the  woman,  who 
owned  the  dog,  is  said  to  have  been  a  Ree  woman. 
The  Yankton  tradition,  however,  is  quite  different  from 


Lewis  and  Clark  153 

that  given  by  Lewis  and  Clark.  Their  two  stone  fig- 
ures are  a  lover  and  a  girl  whose  parents  declined  to 
permit  the  marriage;  and  these  two  young  persons,  the 
man  accompanied  by  his  dog,  met  on  the  prairie,  and, 
after  wandering  about,  were  at  last  turned  to  stone. 
The  Standing  Rock,  which  is  now  at  Standing  Rock 
Agency,  in  North  Dakota,  is  said  to  have  been  a  Ree 
woman,  who,  after  having  long  been  the  only  wife  of 
her  husband,  became  jealous  when  he  took  another 
wife,  and,  lagging  behind  the  travelling  body  of  the 
Rees,  was  finally  turned  to  stone,  and  remains  to  this 
day  a  warning  to  all  jealous  women. 

A  little  later  during  the  day's  journey  they  saw  great 
numbers  of  "goats"  (antelope)  coming  to  the  banks 
of  the  river.  No  doubt  these  animals  were  then  mi- 
grating toward  the  mountains,  or  perhaps  to  the  bro- 
ken hills  of  the  Little  Missouri.  On  October  18  they 
passed  the  Cannon-ball  River,  referred  to  as  Le  Boulet; 
and  here  they  met  two  Frenchmen  who  had  been  robbed 
by  the  Mandans,  but  who  turned  about  and  proceeded 
north  again  with  the  white  men,  in  the  hope  of  recover- 
ing their  possessions.  Game  was  extremely  abundant 
— buffalo,  elk,  and  deer.  An  Indian  who  was  with 
them  pointed  out  to  them  a  number  of  round  hills,  in 
which  he  declared  the  calumet  birds — probably  the 
thunder-bird — had  their  homes. 


CHAPTER   IX 

LEWIS    AND    CLARK 

ii 

AS  they  proceeded,  they  passed  a  number  of  ruined 
villages   of  the   Mandans,   the  low  mounds  of 
earth  showing  where  the  sod  houses  had  fallen 
in;  but  on  October  24  they  came  to  a  large  Mandan 
village,  where  they  were  received  with  friendship,  and 
where  the  chief  of  the  Arikaras  smoked  with  the  grand 
chief  of  the  Mandans. 

On  the  26th,  at  a  large  Mandan  camp,  they  met  a 
Mr.  McCracken,  a  trader  in  the  employ  of  the  North- 
west Fur  Company,  who  was  much  on  the  Missouri 
River  in  those  early  days.  The  younger  Henry  fre- 
quently mentions  him  in  his  journal,  but  at  a  slightly 
later  day.  The  Mandans  were  not  only  most  friendly, 
but  most  interested  in  the  strange  people  who  had  ar- 
rived in  boats;  and  men,  women,  and  children  crowded 
to  the  river-bank  to  see  them.  "The  object  which 
seemed  to  surprise  them  most  was  a  corn-mill  fixed  to 
the  boat,  which  we  had  occasion  to  use,  and  which  de- 
lighted them  by  the  ease  with  which  it  reduced  grain 
to  powder,"  for  the  Mandans,  like  other  Indians,  pul- 
verized their  corn  by  pounding  it  in  a  mortar. 

154 


Lewis  and  Clark  155 

On  the  following  day  their  boat  reached  the  princi- 
pal Mandan  village,  and  here  was  found  a  Frenchman 
named  Jessaume,  who  was  living  among  the  Mandans 
with  an  Indian  wife.  Not  far  from  the  Mandan  village 
was  one  of  the  Annahways,  a  tribe,  according  to  Dr. 
Matthews,  closely  related  to  the  Hidatsa,  or  Minnetari, 
a  part  of  whose  warriors  were  then  absent  on  an  ex- 
pedition against  the  Shoshoni.  In  speeches  of  the 
usual  form,  Captains  Lewis  and  Clark  expressed  the 
good  will  of  the  Great  Father  at  Washington,  and  his 
desire  that  all  the  tribes  should  be  at  peace;  and  pres- 
ents and  medals  were  distributed  among  the  chiefs.  In 
the  course  of  the  next  few  days  these  presents  were 
returned  by  gifts  of  corn  and  dried  meat;  and  the  Ari- 
kara  chief  set  out  for  his  home  with  one  Mandan  chief 
and  several  Minnetari  and  Mandan  warriors.  Cap- 
tain Clark,  after  much  investigation,  found  a  good 
situation  for  a  winter  post,  and  the  work  of  felling 
timber  and  erecting  buildings  began.  Besides  the 
Mandan  interpreter,  Jessaume,  they  met  here  a  Cana- 
dian Frenchman,  who  had  been  with  the  Cheyenne 
Indians  "on  the  Black  Mountains,"  and  the  previous 
summer  had  come  by  way  of  the  Little  Missouri  to  the 
Great  River.  The  Little  Missouri  was  always  a  great 
range  for  the  Cheyennes. 

The  weather,  which  for  some  time  had  been  cold, 
now  grew  much  colder,  and  ice  formed  on  the  edges 
of  the  rivers.  Water  fowl  were  passing  south,  and  it 
was  evident  that  soon  the  river  would  close  up.  A 
large  camp  of  Assiniboines,  with  some  Crees,  had 


156  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

come  to  the  Mandan  village  and  encamped  there. 
A  couple  of  Frenchmen  made  their  appearance  from 
farther  down  the  river.  It  seems  extraordinary  how 
many  Canadian  Frenchmen  there  were  at  this  time 
in  this  distant  country. 

Near  Fort  Mandan,  just  established,  there  were  five 
Indian  villages,  the  residence  of  three  distinct  tribes, 
the  Mandans,  the  Annahways,  and  the  Minnetari. 
The  journal  gives  the  history  of  these  nations  as  fol- 
lows: "Within  the  recollection  of  living  witnesses 
the  Mandans  were  settled  forty  years  ago  in  nine 
villages  (the  ruins  of  which  we  passed  about  eighty 
miles  below),  situated  seven  on  the  west  and  two  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Missouri.  The  two  finding  themselves 
wasting  away  before  the  small-pox  and  the  Sioux, 
united  into  one  village  and  moved  up  the  river  opposite 
to  the  Ricaras.  The  same  causes  reduced  the  remain- 
ing seven  to  five  villages,  till  at  length  they  emigrated  in 
a  body  to  the  Ricara  nation,  where  they  formed  them- 
selves into  two  villages  and  joined  those  of  their  coun- 
trymen who  had  gone  before  them.  In  their  new  resi- 
dence they  were  still  insecure,  and  at  length  the  three 
villages  ascended  the  Missouri  to  their  present  position. 
The  two  who  had  emigrated  together  settled  in  the  two 
villages  on  the  northwest  side  of  the  Missouri,  while  the 
single  village  took  a  position  on  the  southeast  side.  In 
this  situation  they  were  found  by  those  who  visited  them 
in  1796,  since  which  the  two  villages  have  united  into 
one.  They  are  now  in  two  villages,  one  on  the  south- 
east of  the  Missouri,  the  other  on  the  opposite  side, 


Lewis  and  Clark  157 

and  at  the  distance  of  three  miles  across.  The  first, 
in  an  open  plain,  contains  about  forty  or  fifty  lodges, 
built  in  the  same  way  as  those  of  the  Ricaras;  the 
second,  the  same  number,  and  both  may  raise  about 
three  hundred  and  fifty  men. 

"  On  the  same  side  of  the  river,  and  at  the  distance 
of  four  miles  from  the  lower  Mandan  village,  is  an- 
other, called  Mahaha.  It  is  situated  on  a  high  plain 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Knife  River,  and  is  the  residence 
of  the  Ahnahaways.  This  nation,  whose  name  indi- 
cates that  they  were  'people  whose  village  is  on  a  hill/ 
formerly  resided  on  the  Missouri,  about  thirty  miles  be- 
low where  they  now  lived.  The  Assiniboines  and  Sioux 
forced  them  to  a  spot  five  miles  higher,  where  the  great- 
est part  of  them  were  put  to  death,  and  the  rest  emi- 
grated to  their  present  situation,  in  order  to  obtain  an 
asylum  near  the  Minnetarees.  They  are  called  by  the 
French,  Soulier  Noir,  or  Black  Shoe  Indians;  by  the 
Mandans,  Wattasoons;  and  their  whole  force  is  about 
fifty  men." 

Toward  the  end  of  November  seven  traders  belong- 
ing to  the  Northwest  Company  reached  the  Mandans, 
coming  from  the  Assiniboine  River.  Before  long  some 
of  them  began  to  circulate  unfavorable  reports  among 
the  Indians,  and  Captains  Lewis  and  Clark  found  it  nec- 
essary to  take  immediate  steps  to  stop  this.  They  told 
Mr.  Laroche,  the  chief  of  the  seven  traders,  that  they 
should  not  permit  him  to  give  medals  and  flags  to  the 
Indians,  who  were  under  the  protection  of  the  American 
nation,  and  would  receive  consideration  from  them  alone. 


158  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

On  the  last  day  of  November,  word  was  brought  that 
the  Sioux  had  attacked  the  Mandans,  and  killed  one 
and  wounded  two  others,  and  that  a  number  of  Indians 
were  missing.  Captain  Clark,  therefore,  in  order  to  fix 
the  loyalty  of  the  Indians,  summoned  his  whole  force, 
and  arming  them,  set  out  for  the  Mandan  village.  He 
told  the  chief  who  came  out  to  meet  him  that  he  had 
come  to  assist  them  in  their  war,  and  would  lead  them 
against  the  Sioux,  their  enemies,  and  avenge  the  blood 
of  their  countrymen.  This  action  made  a  great  im- 
pression on  the  Mandans,  and  a  Cheyenne  captive, 
who  had  been  brought  up  in  the  tribe,  and  attained  a 
position  of  considerable  importance,  made  a  speech 
thanking  the  white  men  for  their  assistance,  and  ex- 
pressing the  confidence  of  the  Indians  in  them.  There 
was  a  long  talk,  after  which  Captain  Clark  left  the 
village.  The  next  day  six  Sharha  (Cheyenne)  Indians 
came  to  the  village,  bringing  the  pipe  of  peace,  and 
saying  that  their  nation  was  three  days'  march  behind 
them.  With  the  Cheyennes  were  three  Pawnees.  The 
Cheyennes  were  at  peace  with  the  Sioux,  and  the  Man- 
dans  feared  them  and  wished  to  put  them  to  death,  but 
knowing  that  this  would  be  against  the  wishes  of  their 
white  friends,  they  did  nothing.  Lewis  and  Clark  note 
the  common  practice  of  calling  the  Arikaras,  Pawnees, 
a  practice  which  still  exists. 

A  little  later  something  is  said  about  the  chief  of  the 
Mandans,  and  following  this  comes  the  story  of  the 
tribe's  origin,  as  given  by  the  Mandans  themselves: 
"Their  belief  in  a  future  state  is  connected  with  this 


Lewis  and  Clark  159 

tradition  of  their  origin:  The  whole  nation  resided  in 
one  large  village  under  ground,  near  a  subterraneous 
lake.  A  grapevine  extended  its  roots  down  to  their 
habitation  and  gave  them  a  view  of  the  light.  Some 
of  the  most  adventurous  climbed  up  the  vine,  and  were 
delighted  with  the  sight  of  the  earth,  which  they  found 
covered  with  buffalo,  and  rich  with  every  kind  of  fruits. 
Returning  with  the  grapes  they  had  gathered,  their 
countrymen  were  so  pleased  with  the  taste  of  them  that 
the  whole  nation  resolved  to  leave  their  dull  residence 
for  the  charms  of  the  upper  region.  Men,  women,  and 
children  ascended  by  means  of  the  vine;  but  when  about 
half  the  nation  had  reached  the  surface  of  the  earth  a 
corpulent  woman,  who  was  clambering  up  the  vine, 
broke  it  with  her  weight  and  closed  upon  herself  and 
the  rest  of  the  nation  the  light  of  the  sun.  Those  who 
were  left  on  the  earth  made  a  village  below,  where  we 
saw  the  nine  villages;  and  when  the  Mandans  die  they 
expect  to  return  to  the  original  seats  of  their  forefathers, 
the  good  reaching  the  ancient  village  by  means  of  the 
lake,  which  the  burden  of  the  sins  of  the  wicked  will  not 
enable  them  to  cross." 

Although  the  weather  was  cold,  buffalo  were  near, 
and  there  was  much  hunting  by  means  of  the  surround, 
with  the  bow  and  arrows.  Captain  Clark  hunted  with 
the  Indians,  and  killed  ten  buffalo,  of  which  five  only 
were  brought  into  the  fort,  the  remainder  being  taken 
by  the  Indians;  since,  as  the  buffalo  were  killed  by  guns, 
they  bore  no  mark  of  identification,  such  as  an  arrow 
would  have  furnished.  The  next  day  Captain  Lewis  took 


160  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

fifteen  men  and  went  out  to  hunt  buffalo.  They  killed 
eight  and  one  deer;  but,  being  obliged  to  travel  on  foot 
through  deep  snow,  it  took  them  a  long  time  to  approach 
the  buffalo,  and  some  of  the  men  were  frost-bitten. 

It  was  now  mid-December,  and  very  cold;  and  the 
white  men  suffered  a  good  deal  and  hunted  but  little. 
About  this  time  a  Mr.  Haney  arrived  from  the  British 
post  on  the  Assiniboine,  bearing  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Chabouillez,  a  well-known  trader  of  the  North,  with 
offers  of  service.  In  the  Mandan  village  the  Indians 
were  playing  at  sticks,  apparently  in  the  method  prac- 
ticed at  the  present  day  among  the  Blackfeet.  Thin 
circular  stones  are  rolled  along  the  ground,  and  followed 
by  running  men,  who  slide  their  sticks  along  the  ground 
trying  to  have  the  disk  fall  on  them.  On  December 
22  the  explorers  seem  to  have  first  seen  the  horns  of  the 
Rocky  Mountain  sheep.  It  is  "about  the  size  of  a 
small  elk  or  large  deer,  the  horns  winding  like  those  of 
a  ram,  which  they  resemble  also  in  texture,  though 
larger  and  thicker." 

The  year  i8o$*opened  with  New  Year's  day  festiv- 
ities, and  "in  the  morning  we  permitted  sixteen  men 
with  their  music  to  go  up  to  the  first  village,  where 
they  delighted  the  whole  tribe  with  their  dances,  par- 
ticularly with  the  movements  of  one  of  the  French- 
men, who  danced  on  his  head."  Frequent  mention 
is  made  of  the  pleasure  with  which  the  Indians  wit- 
nessed the  dancing  of  the  Americans,  and  this  amuse- 
ment was  much  indulged  in  by  the  men,  many  of 
whom,  as  already  said,  were  Frenchmen. 


Lewis  and  Clark  161 

Although  the  cold  was  intense  and  the  white  men 
suffered  severely,  the  Indians  seemed  to  regard  it  very 
little.  They  were  coming  and  going  constantly,  very 
slightly  clad,  and  sometimes  were  obliged  to  sleep  out 
in  the  snow,  with  no  protection  save  a  buffalo  robe; 
and  yet  they  were  seldom  frozen. 

During  these  months  of  inaction,  Lewis  and  Clark 
were  frequently  occupied  in  settling  individual  quar- 
rels among  the  various  Indians  near  them,  making 
peace  between  husbands  and  wives  and  persuading  the 
Indians  to  abandon  war  journeys  planned  for  the  fol- 
lowing spring. 

Traders  from  the  North  were  frequent  visitors  to 
these  villages.  All  through  the  winter  the  blacksmith 
kept  at  work  with  his  forge,  manufacturing  various 
articles  of  iron,  and  the  Indians  seemed  never  to  weary 
of  watching  him  and  admiring  the  magic  by  which 
he  turned  a  straight  piece  of  iron  into  a  useful  imple- 
ment. 

During  all  this  time  hunting  was  going  on,  for 
though  the  explorers  had  abundant  provisions,  yet 
they  were  supporting  themselves  as  far  as  possible 
from  the  country.  Besides  the  corn  which  they  pur- 
chased from  the  Indians,  in  exchange  for  trade  goods 
and  bits  of  iron,  they  killed  buffalo,  deer,  and  elk; 
and  on  one  hunt,  in  February,  Captain  Clark  and  his 
party  killed  forty  deer,  three  buffalo,  and  sixteen  elk. 
Most  of  the  game  was  too  lean  for  use,  and  was  left 
for  the  wolves.  A  part,  however,  was  brought  to  a 
point  on  the  river,  and  there  protected  in  pens  built 


1 6z  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

of  logs,  which  should  keep  off  the  wolves,  ravens,  and 
magpies.  The  next  day  four  men  were  sent  with 
sleds  and  three  horses,  to  bring  in  the  meat.  They 
returned  that  night  stating  that  a  party  of  one  hundred 
men  had  rushed  upon  them,  cut  the  traces  of  the  sleds 
and  carried  off  two  of  the  horses,  the  third  being 
left  them  through  the  influence  of  one  of  the  Indians. 
The  Indians  had  also  taken  some  of  the  men's  arms. 
An  effort  was  made  to  pursue  these  enemies,  who 
were  believed  to  be  Sioux,  and  Captain  Lewis,  with 
a  few  Mandans,  set  out  on  their  trail.  This  was  fol- 
lowed for  two  or  three  days,  until  at  last  it  turned  off 
into  the  prairie.  The  supposition  that  these  robbers 
were  Sioux  was  confirmed  by  finding  some  moccasins 
that  had  been  thrown  away,  though  the  Sioux  had 
dropped  some  corn  in  one  place,  apparently  with  the 
hope  of  making  it  appear  that  they  were  Arikaras. 
Before  returning,  Captain  Clark  visited  the  place 
where  the  meat  had  been  cached,  and  did  some  more 
hunting;  and,  having  killed  thirty-six  deer,  fourteen 
elk,  and  one  wolf,  he  returned  to  the  fort  with  about 
three  thousand  pounds  of  meat. 

The  weather  was  now  growing  milder,  and  prep- 
arations began  to  be  made  for  continuing  the  journey. 
Men  were  sent  out  to  look  for  trees  suitable  for  canoes. 
White  men  began  to  arrive  from  the  Northwest  Com- 
pany's post,  and  also  Mr.  Gravelines,  with  French- 
men from  the  Ankara  village  down  the  river.  These 
brought  word  that  the  Rees  were  willing  to  make 
peace  with  the  Mandans  and  Minnetari,  and  asked 


Lewis  and  Clark  163 

if  the  Mandans  would  be  willing  to  have  the  Arikaras 
settle  near  them,  and  form  with  them  a  league  against 
the  Sioux.  Word  was  brought  that  the  Sioux  who 
had  stolen  the  explorers5  horses  had  afterward  gone  to 
the  Ankara  village  and  told  what  they  had  done,  and 
that  the  Rees  were  so  angry  at  this  that  they  had  de- 
clined to  give  them  anything  to  eat;  in  other  words, 
had  treated  them  as  enemies. 

The  river  broke  up  late  in  March,  and,  as  happened 
every  spring,  many  buffalo  were  brought  down  on 
the  floating  ice.  An  interesting  description  is  given 
of  how  the  Indians  killed  the  buffalo  floating  down 
on  the  cakes  of  ice,  which  they  dared  not  leave.  The 
men  ran  lightly  over  the  loose  ice  in  the  river  until 
they  had  reached  the  large  cake  on  which  the  buffalo 
stood,  and,  killing  it  there,  then  paddled  the  cake  of 
ice  to  the  shore. 

A  thunder-storm,  accompanied  by  hail,  came  on 
April  i — the  breaking  up  of  the  winter.  And  now 
for  several  days  the  explorers  were  engaged  in  pack- 
ing specimens  to  be  sent  back  to  Washington;  skins 
and  skeletons  of  some  of  the  animals  of  the  country, 
together  with  a  number  of  articles  of  Indian  dress, 
arms,  implements,  tobacco  seed,  and  corn,  with  speci- 
mens of  some  plants.  Arrangements  were  made  also 
for  some  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Rees  to  visit  the  President; 
and  a  delegation  from  the  Rees  made  a  peace  with 
the  Mandans. 

The  explorers  were  now  ready  to  continue  their 
journey,  and  left  the  fort  the  afternoon  of  April  7. 


164  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

The  party  consisted  of  thirty-two  persons,  including 
the  interpreters,  one  of  whom  was  accompanied  by 
his  wife.  At  the  same  time  their  large  boat,  manned 
by  seven  soldiers  and  two  Frenchmen,  set  out  down 
the  river  for  the  distant  United  States. 

The  journey  up  the  river  was  slow,  and  it  would  be 
too  long  to  tell  of  all  they  saw — things  then  new  to 
all,  but  now  common  enough.  The  prairie  and  the 
river  bottom  swarmed  with  game — herds  of  buffalo, 
elk,  antelope,  with  some  deer  and  wolves.  As  they 
went  along  they  saw  a  nest  of  geese  built  "in  the  tops 
of  lofty  cottonwood  trees,"  an  interesting  fact  in  natu- 
ral history,  rediscovered  more  than  fifty  years  later 
by  an  enterprising  ornithologist.  From  time  to  time, 
as  they  passed  up  the  river,  they  passed  small  aban- 
doned encampments  of  Indians,  at  one  of  which, 
"from  the  hoops  of  small  kegs  found  in  them,  we 
judged  could  belong  to  Assiniboines  only,  as  they 
are  the  only  Missouri  Indians  who  use  spirituous 
liquors.  Of  these  they  are  so  passionately  fond  that 
it  forms  their  chief  inducement  to  visit  the  British  on 
the  Assiniboine,  to  whom  they  barter  for  kegs  of 
rum  their  dried  and  pounded  meat,  their  grease, 
and  the  skins  of  large  and  small  wolves,  and  small 
foxes;  the  dangerous  exchange  is  transported  to  their 
camps,  with  their  friends  and  relations,  and  soon 
exhausted  in  brutal  intoxication.  So  far  from  consider- 
ing drunkenness  as  disgraceful,  the  women  and  chil- 
dren are  permitted  and  invited  to  share  in  these  excesses 
with  their  husbands  and  fathers,  who  boast  how  often 


Lewis  and  Clark  165 

their  skill  and  industry  as  hunters  have  supplied  them 
with  the  means  of  intoxication;  in  this,  as  in  other 
habits  and  customs,  they  resemble  the  Sioux,  from 
whom  they  are  descended." 

The  recent  presence  of  the  Assiniboines  on  the 
river  had  made  the  game  scarce  and  shy,  and  it  was 
so  early  in  the  season  that  the  animals  killed  were 
very  thin  in  flesh,  and  almost  useless  for  food.  Beaver, 
however,  were  numerous,  and  seemed  larger  and  fat- 
ter, and  with  darker  and  better  fur,  than  any  seen 
hitherto.  They  were  now  in  the  country  of  abundant 
buffalo,  and  the  calves  had  already  begun  to  make 
their  appearance.  On  April  26  they  reached  the 
mouth  of  the  Yellowstone  River,  "known  to  the 
French  as  La  Roche  Jaune."  Game  was  so  plenty 
that  it  was  scarcely  necessary  to  hunt,  and  they  killed 
only  what  was  needed  for  food.  The  river  banks 
were  lined  with  dead  buffalo;  some  partly  devoured 
by  wolves.  The  buffalo  had  evidently  been  drowned 
in  crossing,  either  by  breaking  through  the  ice  or 
being  unable  to  clamber  from  the  water  when  landing 
under  some  high  bluff. 

On  April  29  Captain  Lewis  met  his  first  grizzly 
bear,  which  the  explorers  call  white  bears.  "Of  the 
strength  and  ferocity  of  this  animal  the  Indians  had 
given  us  dreadful  accounts;  they  never  attack  him  but 
in  parties  of  six  or  eight  persons,  and  even  then  are 
often  defeated,  with  the  loss  of  one  or  more  of  the  party. 
Having  no  weapons  but  bows  and  arrows,  and  the  bad 
guns  with  which  the  traders  supply  them,  they  are 


1 66  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

obliged  to  approach  very  near  to  the  bear;  and  as  no 
wound  except  through  the  head  or  heart  is  mortal,  they 
frequently  fall  a  sacrifice  if  they  miss  their  aim.  He 
rather  attacks  than  avoids  man;  and  such  is  the  terror 
he  has  inspired  that  the  Indians  who  go  in  quest  of 
him  paint  themselves  and  perform  all  the  superstitious 
rites  customary  when  they  make  war  on  a  neighbor- 
ing nation.  Hitherto  those  we  had  seen  did  not  appear 
desirous  of  encountering  us,  but  although  to  a  skilful 
rifleman  the  danger  is  very  much  diminished,  the  white 
bear  is  still  a  terrible  animal.  On  approaching  these 
two,  both  Captain  Lewis  and  the  hunter  fired,  and  each 
wounded  a  bear.  One  of  them  made  his  escape;  the 
other  turned  upon  Captain  Lewis  and  pursued  him 
for  seventy  or  eighty  yards;  but,  being  badly  wounded, 
he  could  not  run  so  fast  as  to  prevent  him  from  re- 
loading his  piece,  which  he  again  aimed  at  him,  and 
a  third  shot  from  the  hunter  brought  him  to  the 
ground." 

The  curiosity  of  the  antelope  is  spoken  of  as  being 
often  the  occasion  of  its  easy  destruction.  "When  they 
first  see  the  hunters  they  run  with  great  velocity;  if  he 
lies  down  on  the  ground  and  lifts  up  his  arm,  his  hat 
or  his  foot,  they  return  with  a  light  trot  to  look  at 
the  object,  and  sometimes  go  and  return  two  or  three 
times,  till  they  approach  within  reach  of  the  rifle.  So, 
too,  they  sometimes  leave  their  flock  to  go  and  look  at 
the  wolves,  which  crouch  down,  and,  if  the  antelope 
is  frightened  at  first,  repeat  the  same  manceuver,  and 
sometimes  relieve  each  other  till  they  decoy  it  from  the 


Lewis  and  Clark  167 

party,  when  they  seize  it.  But  generally  the  wolves 
take  them  as  they  are  crossing  the  rivers;  for,  although 
swift  on  foot,  they  are  not  good  swimmers." 

As  the  party  struggled  on  up  the  Missouri  they  passed 
the  mouth  of  the  Porcupine  River,  so-called  from  the 
unusual  number  of  porcupines  seen  near  it.  They  con- 
tinued to  see  vast  quantities  of  buffalo,  elk,  and  deer 
— principally  of  the  long-tailed  kind — with  antelope, 
beaver,  geese,  ducks,  and  swans.  As  they  went  on, 
the  game  became  much  tamer.  The  male  buffalo 
would  scarcely  give  way  to  them,  and  as  the  white  men 
drew  near,  looked  at  them  for  a  moment  and  then 
quietly  began  to  graze  again. 

On  May  4  they  passed  some  old  Indian  hunting 
camps,  "one  of  which  consisted  of  two  large  lodges 
fortified  with  a  circular  fence  twenty  or  thirty  feet  in 
diameter,  and  made  of  timber  laid  horizontally,  the 
beams  overlaying  each  other  to  the  height  of  five  feet, 
and  covered  with  the  trunks  and  limbs  of  trees  that 
have  drifted  down  the  river.  The  lodges  themselves 
are  formed  by  three  or  more  strong  sticks,  about  the 
size  of  a  man's  leg  or  arm,  and  twelve  feet  long,  which 
are  attached  at  the  top  by  a  withe  of  small  willows, 
and  spread  out  so  as  to  form  at  the  base  a  circle  of 
from  ten  to  fourteen  feet  in  diameter;  against  these  are 
placed  pieces  of  drift-wood  and  fallen  timber,  usually 
in  three  ranges,  one  on  the  other,  and  the  interstices 
are  covered  with  leaves,  bark,  and  straw,  so  as  to  form 
a  conical  figure  about  ten  feet  high,  with  a  small  aper- 
ture in  one  side  for  the  door."  These  lodges,  of  course, 


1 68  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

were  war  lodges  of  the  Assiniboines,  Gros  Ventres,  or 
Blackfeet,  though  the  travellers  evidently  took  them  for 
ordinary  habitations. 

The  explorers  were  greatly  interested  in  the  animals 
they  saw — especially  the  bears — and  gave  good  descrip- 
tions of  them,  and  of  their  habits. 

The  tenacity  of  life  in  the  bears  made  them  especially 
interesting,  and  their  encounters  with  them  were  often 
marked  by  danger.  However,  the  people  usually 
hunted  in  couples  or  in  small  parties,  and  as  yet  no  one 
had  been  hurt. 


CHAPTER  X 

LEWIS  AND  CLARK 

in 

THEY  had  now  passed  Milk  River,  and  the  Dry 
Fork,  and  the  journal  says:    "The  game  is  now 
in    great    quantities,   particularly    the    elk    and 
buffalo,  which   last  are   so  gentle  that  the  men   are 
obliged  to  drive  them  out  of  the  way  with  sticks  and 
stones."     Bears  were  abundant,  and  almost  every  day 
one  was  killed. 

They  were  approaching  the  mountains,  and  the 
spring  storms,  which  here  last  until  the  middle  of  July, 
troubled  them  with  abundant  rains  and  by  obscuring 
the  view.  On  the  2Oth  they  reached  the  mouth  of  the 
Musselshell,  and  pushing  on,  in  a  short  time  found 
themselves  among  the  bad  lands  of  the  upper  Missouri. 
They  were  now  obliged  to  "  cordell,"  a  number  of  the 
men  walking  on  the  shore  with  a  tow-line,  while  others 
kept  the  boat  off  the  bank.  This  was  slow  and  diffi- 
cult work,  and  was  made  more  dangerous  by  the  fact 
that  their  elk-skin  ropes  were  getting  old  and  rotten, 
and  were  likely  to  break  at  critical  times.  On  May  29 
some  buffalo  ran  through  the  camp,  and  caused  much 

169 


170  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

confusion  and  alarm,  no  one  knowing  exactly  what  had 
happened  until  after  it  was  all  over.  When  they  passed 
the  mouth  of  the  Judith  River  they  found  traces  of  a 
large  camp  of  Indians,  a  hundred  and  twenty-six  fires, 
made,  as  they  conjectured,  by  "The  Minnetari  of  Fort 
de  Prairie,"  that  is,  the  Gros  Ventres  of  the  Prairie — 
Arapahoes  or  Atsena.  Here,  too,  they  passed  preci- 
pices about  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  high,  below 
which  lay  scattered  the  remains  of  at  least  a  hundred 
carcasses  of  buffalo.  The  method  by  which  the  buffalo 
are  driven  over  the  cliffs  by  the  upper  Missouri  tribes 
is  described.  At  this  place  the  wolves  which  had  been 
feasting  on  these  carcasses  were  very  fat,  and  so  gentle 
that  one  of  them  was  killed  with  a  spontoon  or  halberd. 
They  were  now  among  some  of  the  most  impressive 
bad  lands  of  the  Missouri  River,  and  the  extraordinary 
effects  of  erosion  by  air  and  water  made  the  explorers 
wonder. 

Captains  Lewis  and  Clark  were  much  puzzled  at 
this  point  to  know  which  of  the  rivers  before  them  was 
the  main  Missouri.  The  Minnetari  had  told  them 
that  the  main  Missouri  headed  close  to  the  Columbia 
River,  and  it  was  this  main  stream  that  they  wished  to 
follow  up,  in  order  that  they  might  strike  Columbia 
waters,  and  thus  continue  their  way  toward  the  west. 
The  choice  of  the  wrong  branch  might  take  them  a  very 
long  distance  out  of  their  way,  and  they  would  be 
forced  to  return  to  this  point,  losing  a  season  for  travel- 
ling, and  also,  perhaps,  so  disheartening  the  men  as  to 
take  away  much  or  all  of  their  enthusiasm.  Accord- 


Lewis  and  Clark  171 

ingly,  two  land  parties  set  out,  one  under  Captain  Lewis 
and  one  under  Captain  Clark.  Captain  Lewis  fol- 
lowed up  the  Missouri  River,  and  became  convinced 
that  it  was  not  the  main  stream,  and  that  it  would 
not  be  wise  to  follow  it  up.  The  remainder  of  his 
party,  however,  believed  it  to  be  the  true  Missouri. 
Captain  Clark,  who  had  followed  up  the  other  stream, 
had  seen  nothing  to  give  him  much  notion  as  to  whether 
it  was  or  was  not  the  principal  river.  After  long  con- 
sideration, and  getting  from  the  interpreters  and  French- 
men all  that  they  knew  on  the  subject,  they  determined 
to  make  a  cache  at  this  point,  and  that  a  party  should 
ascend  the  southern  branch  by  land  until  they  should 
reach  either  the  falls  of  the  Missouri  or  the  mountains. 
This  plan  was  carried  out.  The  heavy  baggage,  to- 
gether with  some  provisions,  salt,  powder,  and  tools, 
were  cached;  one  of  the  boats  was  hidden;  and  Captain 
Lewis,  with  four  men,  started  June  1 1  to  follow  up  the 
southern  stream. 

On  the  1 3th  they  came  to  a  beautiful  plain,  where 
the  buffalo  were  in  greater  numbers  than  they  had  ever 
been  seen,  and  a  little  later  Captain  Lewis  came  upon 
the  great  falls  of  the  Missouri.  This  most  cheering 
discovery  gave  them  the  information  that  they  desired, 
and  the  next  day  an  effort  was  made  to  find  a  place 
where  the  canoes  might  be  portaged  beyond  the  falls. 
This  was  not  found;  and  a  considerable  journey  up 
and  down  the  river  showed  to  the  explorers  the  great 
number  of  falls  existing  at  this  place.  Game  was  very 
numerous,  and  buffalo  were  killed  and  the  meat  pre- 


172  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

pared,  and  a  messenger  was  sent  back  to  the  main  party 
to  tell  what  had  been  discovered.  One  day  in  this 
neighborhood  Captain  Lewis,  having  carelessly  left  his 
rifle  unloaded,  was  chased  for  a  considerable  distance 
by  a  bear,  and  finally  took  refuge  in  the  river.  The 
next  day  he  was  threatened  by  three  buffalo  bulls,  which 
came  up  to  within  a  hundred  yards  of  him  on  the  full 
charge,  and  then  stopped;  and  the  next  day,  in  the  morn- 
ing, he  found  a  rattlesnake  coiled  up  on  a  tree  trunk 
close  to  where  he  had  been  sleeping.  There  seems  to 
have  been  excitement  enough  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  Great  Falls.  It  was  found  necessary  here  to  leave 
their  boats  behind,  and  the  travellers  made  an  effort  to 
supply  their  place  by  a  homely  cart,  the  wheels  of  which 
were  made  from  sections  of  the  trunk  of  a  large  cotton- 
wood  tree. 

For  a  good  while  now  the  party  had  been  travelling, 
most  of  the  time  on  foot,  over  rough  country,  covered 
with  prickly  pears,  and  the  ground  rough  with  hard 
points  of  earth,  where  the  buffalo  had  trodden  during 
the  recent  rains.  Their  foot-gear  was  worn  out,  and 
the  feet  of  many  of  the  men  were  sore.  All  were  be- 
coming weak  from  exertion  and  the  fatigues  they  were 
constantly  undergoing.  However,  the  enormous  abun- 
dance of  game  kept  them  from  suffering  from  hunger. 
Two  or  three  weeks  were  spent  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  Great  Falls,  preparing  for  their  onward  journey. 
Provisions  were  secured  by  killing  buffalo  and  drying 
their  meat.  They  tried  to  prepare  a  skin  boat  for  going 
up  the  river,  and  for  various  explorations  and  measure- 


Lewis  and  Clark  173 

ments  in  the  neighborhood,  but  the  attempt  was  un- 
successful. The  iron  frame  had  been  brought  from 
the  East,  but  wood  for  flooring  and  gunwales  was 
hardly  to  be  had.  They  were  obliged  to  give  up  the 
boat,  strip  the  covering  from  it,  and  cache  the  pieces. 

While  they  were  in  this  neighborhood,  they  were  much 
annoyed  by  the  white  bears,  which  constantly  visited 
their  camp  during  the  night.  Their  dog  kept  them 
advised  of  the  approach  of  the  animals,  but  it  was 
annoying  to  be  obliged  to  sleep  with  their  arms  by  their 
sides  and  to  expect  to  be  awakened  at  any  moment. 
The  daring  of  the  bears  was  great;  once  some  of  the 
hunters,  seeing  a  place  where  they  thought  it  likely  that 
a  bear  might  be  found,  climbed  into  a  tree,  shouted,  and 
a  bear  instantly  rushed  toward  them.  It  came  to  the 
tree  and  stopped  and  looked  at  them,  when  one  of  the 
men  shot  it.  It  proved  to  be  the  largest  bear  yet  seen. 

Captain  Clark,  journeying  with  Chaboneau,  the  inter- 
preter, his  wife  and  child,  and  the  negro  servant  York, 
took  shelter  one  day  under  a  steep  rock  in  a  deep  ravine, 
to  be  out  of  the  rain  and  wind.  A  heavy  shower  came 
up,  and  before  they  knew  it  a  tremendous  torrent  came 
rolling  down  the  ravine,  so  that  they  narrowly  escaped 
losing  their  lives.  Captain  Clark  pulled  the  Indian 
woman  up  out  of  the  water,  which,  before  he  could 
climb  the  bank,  was  up  to  his  waist.  The  guns  and 
some  instruments  were  /lost  in  the  flood. 

The  question  of  transportation  was  finally  solved  by 
their  making  two  small  canoes  from  cotton-wood  trees, 
and  they  pushed  on  up  the  Missouri.  A  small  party 


174  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

went  ahead  on  foot,  examining  the  country.  Game 
was  fairly  numerous,  and  near  the  Dearborn  River  they 
saw  a  "large  herd  of  the  big  horned  animals."  Indian 
camps  were  occasionally  seen,  and  it  was  noted  that  in 
some  places  pine  trees  had  been  stripped  of  their  bark, 
which,  the  Indian  woman  told  them,  was  done  by  the 
Snakes  in  the  spring,  in  order  to  obtain  the  soft  parts  of 
the  wood  and  the  bark  for  food. 

The  river  here  was  deep,  and  with  only  a  moderate 
current,  and  they  were  obliged  to  employ  the  tow-rope, 
cordelling  their  vessel  along  the  shore.  Geese  and 
cranes  were  breeding  along  the  river;  the  young  geese 
perfectly  feathered  and  as  large  as  the  old  ones,  while 
the  cranes  were  as  large  as  turkeys.  The  land  party 
followed  for  much  of  the  distance  an  Indian  trail,  which 
led  in  the  general  direction  they  wished  to  go. 

They  had  now  reached  the  Three  Forks  of  the  Mis- 
souri, which  were  duly  named,  as  we  know  them  to-day, 
Jefferson,  Madison,  and  Gallatin.  They  were  in  the 
country  of  the  Snake  Indians,  whom  they  were  in  daily 
hope  of  meeting,  feeling  sure  that  through  the  medium 
of  Chaboneau's  wife  they  would  be  able  to  establish 
satisfactory  relations  with  them.  Captain  Clark  still 
kept  ahead  of  the  party,  on  foot,  to  learn  the  courses 
and  practicability  of  the  different  streams  for  the  canoes, 
and  left  notes  at  different  points,  with  instructions  for 
the  boats.  One  of  these  notes,  left  on  a  green  pole  stuck 
up  in  the  mud,  failed  to  be  received  because  a  beaver 
cut  down  the  pole  after  it  had  been  planted,  and  the 
consequence  was  that  the  canoes  proceeded  for  a 


Lewis  and  Clark  175 

considerable  distance  up  the  wrong  fork,  and  were 
obliged  to  return.  Reaching  the  Beaverhead,  the  Snake 
woman  pointed  out  the  place  where  she  had  been  capt- 
ured five  years  before.  On  August  9  Captain  Lewis, 
with  three  men,  set  out,  determined  to  find  some  Indians 
before  returning  to  the  party,  and  the  rest  of  the  expedi- 
tion kept  on  up  the  main  fork  of  the  Jefferson  as  best 
they  could.  On  August  n  Captain  Lewis  had  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  a  man  on  horseback  approaching 
him.  The  man's  appearance  was  different  from  that 
of  any  Indian  seen  before,  and  Captain  Lewis  was  con- 
vinced that  he  was  a  Shoshoni.  When  the  two  men 
were  about  a  mile  apart  the  Indian  stopped,  and  Cap- 
tain Lewis  signalled  to  him  with  his  blanket,  making 
the  sign  of  friendship,  and  attempted  to  approach  him. 
The  Indian  was  suspicious,  and  unfortunately  the  two 
men  who  were  following  Captain  Lewis  did  not  observe 
the  latter*  s  sign  to  wait,  and  so,  though  the  Indian  per- 
mitted the  white  man  to  come  to  within  a  hundred 
yards  of  him,  he  finally  turned  his  horse  and  rode  off 
into  the  willows.  They  followed  the  track  of  the 
Indian  as  well  as  they  could  until  night,  and  the  next 
morning  continued  the  search.  By  this  time  their  food 
was  nearly  gone.  They  kept  on  up  the  stream  until  it 
had  grown  to  be  a  rivulet  so  small  that  Captain  Lewis 
could  stand  over  it  with  one  foot  on  either  bank. 

Keeping  on  to  the  west,  they  reached  the  divide  be- 
tween the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  waters,  and  the  next  day 
came  upon  a  woman  and  a  man,  who  declined  to  await 
near  approach.  A  little  bit  later  they  came  on  three 


176  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

Indians,  an  old  and  a  young  woman  and  a  little  girl. 
The  young  woman  escaped  by  running,  but  the  other 
two  sat  down  on  the  ground  and  seemed  to  be  awaiting 
death.  Captain  Lewis  made  them  presents,  and  after 
a  little  conversation,  by  signs,  they  set  out  for  the  camp. 
Before  they  had  gone  far  they  met  a  troop  of  sixty 
warriors  rushing  down  upon  them  at  full  speed.  Cap- 
tain Lewis  put  down  his  gun  and  went  forward  with  a 
flag.  The  leading  Indians  spoke  to  the  women,  who 
explained  that  the  party  were  white  men,  and  showed, 
with  pride,  the  presents  that  they  had  received.  The 
warriors  received  them  with  great  friendliness,  and  they 
smoked  together  on  the  best  of  terms,  and  subsequently 
proceeded  to  the  camp,  where  they  were  received  with 
the  utmost  hospitality.  The  Indians  had  abundant 
fresh  meat  and  salmon.  Most  of  them  were  armed 
with  bows,  but  a  few  had  guns,  which  they  had  obtained 
from  the  Northwest  Company.  They  had  many  horses, 
and  hunted  antelope  on  horseback,  surrounding  and 
driving  them  from  point  to  point,  until  the  antelope 
were  worn  out  and  the  horses  were  foaming  with  sweat. 
Many  of  the  antelope  broke  through  and  got  away. 

Captain  Lewis  tried  to  arrange  with  the  chief  to 
return  with  him  to  the  Jefferson,  meet  the  party,  and 
bring  them  over  the  mountains,  and  then  trade  for  some 
horses.  The  chief  readily  consented,  but  it  subse- 
quently appeared  that  he  was  more  or  less  suspicious, 
and  he  repeated  to  Captain  Lewis  the  suggestions  made 
by  some  of  the  Indians  that  the  white  men  were  per- 
haps allies  of  their  enemies  and  were  trying  to  draw 


Lewis  and  Clark  177 

them  into  an  ambuscade.  The  chief,  with  six  or  eight 
warriors,  started  back  with  Captain  Lewis,  and  it  was 
evident  that  the  people  in  the  village  thought  that  they 
were  going  into  great  danger,  for  the  women  were  cry- 
ing and  praying  for  good  fortune  for  those  about  to  go 
into  danger,  while  the  men  who  feared  to  go  were  sullen 
and  unhappy.  Nevertheless,  before  the  party  had  gone 
far  from  the  camp,  they  were  joined  by  others,  and  a 
little  later  all  the  men,  and  many  of  the  women,  over- 
took them,  and  travelled  along  cheerfully  with  them. 
Two  or  three  days  later  Captain  Lewis  sent  out  two  of 
his  men  to  hunt,  and  this  seemed  to  revive  the  suspicions 
of  the  Indians;  and  when,  a  little  later,  one  of  the 
Indians  who  had  followed  the  hunters  was  seen  riding 
back  as  hard  as  he  could,  the  whole  company  of  Indians 
who  were  with  Captain  Lewis  whirled  about  and  ran 
away  as  fast  as  possible.  It  was  not  until  they  had 
raced  along  for  a  mile  or  two  that  the  Indian  who  re- 
turned made  the  others  understand  that  one  of  the 
white  men  had  killed  a  deer,  and  instantly  the  whole 
company  turned  about  and  ran  back,  each  man  eager 
to  get  first  to  the  deer  that  he  might  make  sure  of  a 
piece. 

Meantime  the  main  party  had  struggled  on  up  the 
river,  and  on  August  17  were  met  by  a  messenger 
from  Captain  Lewis,  Drewyer,  together  with  two  or 
three  of  his  Indian  friends.  The  two  parties  met,  and, 
through  the  medium  of  Chaboneau's  wife,  all  suspicions 
were  allayed  and  the  friendliest  relations  established. 
Efforts  were  now  made  to  learn  something  about  the 


178  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

country  to  the  westward  and  the  best  method  of  passing 
through  it.  The  Indians  said  the  way  was  difficult, 
the  river  swift,  full  of  rapids,  and  flowing  through  deep 
canyons,  which  passed  through  mountains  impassable 
for  men  or  horses.  The  route  to  the  southward  of  the 
river  was  said  to  pass  through  a  dry,  parched  desert 
of  sand,  uninhabited  by  game,  and  impossible  at  that 
season  for  the  horses,  as  the  grass  was  dead  and  the 
water  dried  up  by  the  heat  of  summer.  The  route  to 
the  northward,  though  bad,  appeared  to  present  the 
best  road. 

Obviously,  if  it  was  practicable,  the  river  presented 
the  easiest  passage  through  the  country,  and,  in  the  hope 
that  its  difficulties  had  been  exaggerated,  Captain  Clark 
set  out  to  inspect  its  channel.  Passing  as  far  down  the 
river  as  he  could,  the  leader  convinced  himself  that  it 
was  useless  to  attempt  its  passage.  Game  was  scarce, 
and  for  food  the  party  depended  almost  entirely  on  the 
salmon  which  they  could  purchase  from  the  Indians, 
and  which  in  some  cases  were  freely  given  them.  The 
Shoshoni  Indians  led  a  miserable  life,  depending  chiefly 
on  salmon  and  roots.  They  ventured  out  on  the  buf- 
falo plain  to  kill  and  dry  the  meat,  though  continually 
in  fear  of  the  Pahkees,  "or  the  roving  Indians  of  the 
Sascatchawan,"  who  sometimes  followed  them  even 
into  the  mountains.  These  Pahkees  were  undoubtedly 
the  Piegan  tribe  of  Blackfeet,  known  for  many  years  as 
bitter  enemies  of  the  Snakes. 


CHAPTER  XI 
LEWIS  AND  CLARK 

IV 

BY  the  end  of  August  the  explorers,  having  pro- 
cured a  number  of  horses,  set  to  work  to  make 
saddles,  cache  their  extra  baggage,  and  set  out 
for  their  journey  north  and  west.  The  way  led  them 
over  rough  mountains,  often  without  a  trail.  They 
were  fortunate  in  having  an  old  Indian  as  guide,  but 
met  much  cold  weather,  and  found  the  country  barren 
of  game.  However,  after  two  or  three  days  of  very 
difficult  travel,  they  came  upon  a  camp  of  friendly 
Indians,  who  fed  them.  These  people  professed  to  be 
an  offshoot  of  the  Tushepaw  tribe,  had  plenty  of  horses, 
and  were  fairly  well  provided.  They  told  them  that 
down  the  great  river  was  a  large  fall,  near  which  lived 
white  people,  who  supplied  them  with  beads  and  brass 
wire.  Not  long  after  this  they  met  the  first  Chopunnish, 
or  Pierced-nose  Indians,  whom  we  know  to-day  as  Nez 
Perces.  They  were  friendly,  and  were  treated  as  other 
tribes  had  been. 

Although  the  explorers  had  had  one  satisfying  meal, 
yet  food  was  very  scarce,  and  the  Indians  subsisted  as 

179 


1 80  Trails  of  the  ^Pathfinders 

best  they  might  on  the  few  salmon  still  remaining  in  the 
streams,  which  they  shared  with  the  white  men.  The 
privations  suffered  recently  were  making  them  weak; 
many  were  sick;  and  it  was  so  necessary  to  husband 
their  strength  that  Captain  Clark  determined  to  make 
the  remaining  journey  by  water.  Canoes  were  built, 
and  the  thirty-eight  horses  were  branded  and  turned 
over  to  three  Indians  to  care  for  until  the  explorers 
returned.  Provisions  for  the  trip  were  difficult  to 
obtain.  On  the  morning  of  October  7  they  started 
down  Lewis  River  without  two  of  the  Nez  Perce  chiefs 
who  had  promised  to  go  with  them.  Indian  encamp- 
ments were  numerous  along  the  river,  but  food  con- 
tinued very  scarce,  and  their  only  supply  consisted  of 
roots,  which  they  got  from  the  Indians.  Later  they 
bought  some  dogs  from  the  Nez  Perces  for  food,  and 
were  laughed  at  by  the  Indians,  who  did  not  eat  dogs. 
The  Nez  Perces  during  summer  and  autumn  occupied 
themselves  in  fishing  for  salmon  and  collecting  roots 
and  berries,  while  in  winter  they  hunted  the  deer  on 
snow-shoes,  and  toward  spring  crossed  the  mountains 
to  the  Missouri  for  the  purpose  of  trading  for  buffalo 
robes.  They  appeared  very  different  from  the  kindly 
Shoshoni;  they  were  selfish  and  avaricious,  and  expected 
a  reward  for  every  service  and  a  full  price  for  every 
article  they  parted  with. 

Although  it  was  now  drawing  toward  mid-October, 
the  weather  continued  warm.  Progress  down  the 
stream  was  rapid,  though  more  so  in  appearance  than 
in  reality,  owing  to  the  river's  bends.  On  the  bank  of 


Lewis  and  Clark  181 

the  stream,  at  a  large  Indian  camp  where  they  stopped 
October  n,  a  novel  form  of  sweat-house  was  observed. 
Earth  was  banked  up  on  three  sides  against  a  cut-bank 
at  the  river's  edge,  and  the  Indians,  descending  through 
the  roof,  which  was  covered  with  brush  and  earth, 
except  for  a  small  aperture,  took  down  their  hot  stones 
and  vessels  of  water  and  bathed  here. 

They  were  now  approaching  the  camp  of  a  different 
nation  of  Indians,  who  had  been  warned  of  the  coming 
of  the  party  by  the  two  chiefs  who  had  gone  before, 
and  they  began  to  receive  visits  from  men  who  had 
come  up  the  stream  to  satisfy  the  curiosity  excited  by 
the  reports.  When  they  reached  the  camp  they  were 
hospitably  received,  and  the  usual  council  was  held, 
accompanied  by  distribution  of  presents  and  medals. 
Here  they  obtained  from  the  Indians  some  dogs,  a  few 
fish,  and  a  little  dried  horse-flesh.  This  was  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Lewis  River  and  the  Columbia;  and  the 
Indians,  who  called  themselves  Sokulks,  seemed  a  mild 
and  peaceable  people,  living  in  a  state  of  comparative 
happiness.  The  men  appeared  to  have  but  one  wife, 
old  age  was  respected,  and  the  people  were  agreeable 
to  deal  with.  Their  support  was  largely  fish,  to  which 
were  added  roots  and  the  flesh  of  the  antelope.  They 
were  chiefly  canoe  people,  and  possessed  but  few  horses. 

Here  Captain  Clark,  while  ascending  the  Columbia 
in  a  small  canoe,  first  saw,  besides  the  captured  fish 
drying  on  scaffolds,  "immense  numbers  of  salmon 
strewed  along  the  shore,  or  floating  on  the  surface  of 
the  water."  At  the  Indian  villages  that  he  passed  he 


1 82  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

was  hospitably  received,  and  here  first  the  sage  grouse, 
called  a  "prairie  cock,  a  bird  of  the  pheasant  kind,  of 
about  the  size  of  a  small  turkey,"  was  captured. 

Proceeding  down  the  Columbia  a  few  days'  journey, 
an  interesting  incident  took  place.  "As  Captain  Clark 
arrived  at  the  lower  end  of  the  rapid  before  any,  except 
one  of  the  small  canoes,  he  sat  down  on  a  rock  to  wait 
for  them,  and,  seeing  a  crane  fly  across  the  river,  shot  it, 
and  it  fell  near  him.  Several  Indians  had  been  before 
this  passing  on  the  opposite  side  toward  the  rapids,  and 
some  who  were  then  nearly  in  front  of  him,  being  either 
alarmed  at  his  appearance  or  the  report  of  the  gun,  fled 
to  their  homes.  Captain  Clark  was  afraid  that  these 
people  had  not  yet  heard  that  the  white  men  were  com- 
ing, and  therefore,  in  order  to  allay  their  uneasiness  be- 
fore the  rest  of  the  party  should  arrive,  he  got  into  the 
small  canoe  with  three  men,  rowed  over  toward  the 
houses,  and,  while  crossing,  shot  a  duck,  which  fell  into 
the  water.  As  he  approached  no  person  was  to  be  seen, 
except  three  men  in  the  plains,  and  they,  too,  fled  as  he 
came  near  the  shore.  He  landed  in  front  of  five  houses 
close  to  each  other,  but  no  one  appeared,  and  the  doors, 
which  were  of  mat,  were  closed.  He  went  toward  one 
of  them  with  a  pipe  in  his  hand,  and,  pushing  aside  the 
mat,  entered  the  lodge,  where  he  found  thirty-two  per- 
sons, chiefly  men  and  women,  with  a  few  children,  all 
in  the  greatest  consternation;  some  hanging  down  their 
heads,  others  crying  and  wringing  their  hands.  He 
went  up  to  them  and  shook  hands  with  each  one  in  the 
most  friendly  manner;  but  their  apprehensions,  which 


Lewis  and  Clark  183 

had  for  a  moment  subsided,  revived  on  his  taking  out  a 
burning-glass,  as  there  was  no  roof  to  the  house,  and 
lighting  his  pipe.  He  then  offered  it  to  several  of  the 
men,  and  distributed  among  the  women  and  children 
some  small  trinkets  which  he  had  with  him,  and  grad- 
ually restored  a  degree  of  tranquility  among  them. 
Leaving  this  house,  and  directing  each  of  his  men  to 
visit  a  house,  he  entered  a  second.  Here  he  found  the 
inmates  more  terrified  than  those  in  the  first;  but  he 
succeeded  in  pacifying  them,  and  afterward  went  into 
the  other  houses,  where  the  men  had  been  equally  suc- 
cessful. Retiring  from  the  houses,  he  seated  himself 
on  a  rock,  and  beckoned  to  some  of  the  men  to  come 
and  smoke  with  him,  but  none  of  them  ventured  to  join 
him  till  the  canoes  arrived  with  the  two  chiefs,  who 
immediately  explained  our  pacific  intentions  toward 
them.  Soon  after  the  interpreter's  wife  landed,  and 
her  presence  dissipated  all  doubts  of  our  being  well  dis- 
posed, since  in  this  country  no  woman  ever  accompanies 
a  war  party;  they  therefore  all  came  out,  and  seemed 
perfectly  reconciled;  nor  could  we,  indeed,  blame  them 
for  their  terrors,  which  were  perfectly  natural.  They 
told  the  two  chiefs  that  they  knew  we  were  not  men,  for 
they  had  seen  us  fall  from  the  clouds.  In  fact,  unper- 
ceived  by  them,  Captain  Clark  had  shot  the  white  crane, 
which  they  had  seen  fall  just  before  he  appeared  to 
their  eyes;  the  duck  which  he  had  killed  also  fell  close 
by  him,  and  as  there  were  some  clouds  flying  over  at 
the  moment,  they  connected  the  fall  of  the  birds  with 
his  sudden  appearance,  and  believed  that  he  had  him- 


184  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

self  actually  dropped  from  the  clouds,  considering  the 
noise  of  the  rifle,  which  they  had  never  heard  before, 
the  sound  announcing  so  extraordinary  an  event.  This 
belief  was  strengthened,  when,  on  entering  the  room, 
he  brought  down  fire  from  the  heavens  by  means  of 
his  burning-glass.  We  soon  convinced  them,  however, 
that  we  were  merely  mortals,  and  after  one  of  our  chiefs 
had  explained  our  history  and  objects,  we  all  smoked 
together  in  great  harmony." 

Below  this,  other  Indian  villages  were  passed,  and 
there  was  more  or  less  intercourse  between  the  white 
men  and  the  Indians.  On  the  2Oth  an  island  was 
visited,  one  end  of  which  was  devoted  to  the  burial  of 
the  dead.  The  passage  down  the  river  continued  to  be 
more  or  less  interrupted  by  rapids  and  falls,  about 
which  they  were  obliged  to  make  portages.  All  the 
Indians  seemed  to  be  friendly,  and  seemed  also  to  be  in 
great  dread  of  the  Snake  Indians,  with  whom  they  were 
constantly  at  war. 

Here  is  described  the  method  of  certain  tribes  of  pre- 
paring fish,  by  drying,  and  pounding  it  fine,  and  then 
placing  it  in  a  basket  lined  with  skin  of  the  salmon, 
and  covering  the  top  of  the  basket  with  skins.  Fish 
prepared  in  this  way  would  keep  sound  and  sweet  for 
years.  It  was  an  article  of  trade  between  these  people 
and  those  farther  down  the  river,  who  eagerly  pur- 
chased it.  The  preparation  seems  to  have  been  the 
equivalent  of  the  pemmican,  made  of  flesh,  and  so  ex- 
tensively used  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. 


Lewis  and  Clark  185 

The  rapids  which  they  constantly  encountered 
greatly  delayed  them,  and  sometimes  the  contents  of 
one  or  more  boats  were  soaked  by  being  upset  or  by 
shipping  water.  Food  was  scarce,  and  they  continued 
to  purchase  dogs  for  provisions.  October  24  a  change 
was  noticed  in  the  actions  of  the  Indians,  who  seemed 
more  suspicious  than  usual  and  approached  the  travel- 
lers with  more  caution.  This  alarmed  the  two  Indian 
chiefs  who  had  come  with  them  down  the  river,  and 
they  wished  to  leave  the  party  and  return  to  their  own 
country.  However,  they  were  persuaded  to  remain 
two  nights  longer,  since  they  had  proved  most  use- 
ful in  quieting  the  fears  of  the  different  tribes  met 
with  and  inspiring  them  with  confidence  in  the  white 
people. 

A  little  later  they  met  Indians,  some  of  whom  wore 
white  men's  clothing,  said  to  have  been  obtained  from 
people  farther  down  the  stream,  and  who  had  also  a 
musket,  a  cutlass,  and  several  brass  kettles.  A  chief 
who  had  some  white  men's  clothing  exhibited  to  the 
travellers,  as  trophies,  fourteen  dried  forefingers,  which 
he  told  them  had  belonged  to  enemies  whom  he  had 
killed  in  fighting,  to  the  south-east.  At  a  burial-place 
were  deposited  brass  kettles  and  frying-pans  with  holes 
in  the  bottoms.  The  making  holes  in  these  vessels, 
which  were  to  contain  liquid,  was,  of  course,  for  the 
purpose  of  "killing"  the  vessel,  that  it  might  be  use- 
ful to  the  spirit  who  was  to  use  it  in  another  life.  Not 
very  far  below  this  they  first  met  the  wappato,  a  word 
now  firmly  established  in  the  vernacular  of  the  North- 


1 86  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

west;  it  is  the  root  of  the  plant  Sagittaria,  well  known 
as  an  excellent  food  for  human  beings,  and  eagerly  eaten 
by  wild-fowl.  The  Indians  with  whom  the  explorers 
now  came  in  contact  were  troublesome  mortals,  very 
presuming,  and  disposed  to  take  anything  that  was  left 
about.  They  possessed  still  more  articles  of  white 
men's  manufacture,  some  having  muskets  and  pistols. 
Below  the  mouth  of  the  Coweliske  River  they  found  an 
Indian  who  spoke  a  few  words  of  English,  and  he  gave 
them  the  name  of  the  principal  person  who  traded  with 
them — a  Mr.  Haley. 

The  river  was  now  growing  wider;  there  were  great 
numbers  of  water-fowl;  and  on  the  afternoon  of  No- 
vember 7  the  fog  suddenly  cleared  away  and  they  saw 
the  ocean,  the  object  of  all  their  labors,  the  reward  of 
all  their  anxiety.  The  weather  was  almost  constantly 
rainy,  and  they  were  continually  wet.  There  were 
numerous  villages  along  the  river,  and  these  were  to  be 
avoided,  because,  like  all  Indian  villages  recently  passed, 
they  were  terribly  infested  by  fleas.  Among  the  wild 
fowl  killed  in  this  locality  were  a  goose  and  two  canvas- 
back  ducks.  The  sea  was  heavy  in  this  mouth  of  the 
river,  and  the  motion  so  great  that  several  of  the  men 
became  sea-sick.  They  landed  in  the  bay,  but  the  hills 
came  down  so  steeply  to  the  water's  edge  that  there  was 
no  room  for  them  to  make  a  satisfactory  camp  nor  to 
secure  the  baggage  above  high  water.  However,  they 
raised  the  baggage  on  poles  and  spent  a  most  uncom- 
fortable night.  For  some  days  now  they  camped  on 
the  beach,  wet,  cold,  and  comfortless,  with  nothing  but 


Lewis  and  Clark  187 

dried  fish  to  satisfy  their  hunger.  Hunters  sent  out 
failed  to  bring  in  any  game,  but  they  bought  a  few  fresh 
fish  from  the  Indians.  On  the  I5th  of  November, 
however,  the  sun  came  out,  and  they  were  able  to  dry 
their  merchandise;  and,  the  wind  falling,  they  loaded 
their  canoes,  and  after  proceeding  a  short  distance 
found  a  sand  beach,  where  they  made  a  comfortable 
camp.  This  was  in  full  view  of  the  ocean,  quite  on  the 
route  traversed  by  the  Indians,  many  of  whom  visited 
them;  and  there  was  more  or  less  game  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, for  the  hunters  brought  in  two  deer,  some  geese 
and  ducks,  and  a  crane. 

It  was  now  almost  winter,  and  the  travellers  began 
to  look  out  for  a  place  where  they  might  build  their 
winter  camp.  The  Indians  reported  deer  and  elk  rea- 
sonably abundant  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay;  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  explorers  wished  to  be  near  the 
ocean,  that  they  might  provide  themselves  with  salt, 
and  also  for  the  chance  of  meeting  some  of  the  trading 
vessels,  which  were  expected  in  the  course  of  the  next 
two  or  three  months.  The  rain  continued  and  the 
hunters  were  unsuccessful.  A  diet  of  dried  fish  was 
making  the  men  ill,  and  the  prospects  were  not  bright. 
However,  on  the  2d  of  December,  one  of  the  hunters 
killed  an  elk,  the  first  taken  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains;  and  we  may  imagine  how  much  its 
flesh  was  enjoyed  after  the  long  diet  of  roots  and  fish. 
And  now  for  some  time  deer  and  elk  were  killed  in  great 
abundance;  but  the  continued  wet  weather  caused 
much  of  the  flesh  to  spoil.  The  Indians  seemed  to  be 


1 88  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

taking  a  good  many  salmon — presumably  in  the  salt 
water  of  the  bay — and  they  had  many  berries. 

Christmas  and  New  Year's  passed,  and  in  the  first 
days  of  January  there  came  the  news  that  a  whale  had 
been  cast  up  on  the  beach.  All  the  Indians  hurried  to 
it;  and  following  them  went  Captain  Clark  and  some 
of  the  men,  and  with  them  Chaboneau  and  his  wife, 
the  latter  extremely  anxious  to  venture  to  the  edge  of 
the  salt  water  and  to  see  the  enormous  "fish"  which 
had  come  ashore.  The  skeleton  of  the  whale  measured 
one  hundred  and  five  feet  in  length. 

"While  smoking  with  the  Indians,  Captain  Clark 
was  startled  about  ten  o'clock  by  a  loud,  shrill  cry  from 
the  opposite  village,  on  hearing  which  all  the  natives 
immediately  started  up  to  cross  the  creek,  and  the  guide 
informed  him  that  some  one  had  been  killed.  On  ex- 
amination, one  of  our  men  was  discovered  to  be  absent, 
and  a  guard  was  despatched,  who  met  him  crossing  the 
creek  in  great  haste.  An  Indian  belonging  to  another 
band,  and  who  happened  to  be  with  the  Killamucks 
that  evening,  had  treated  him  with  much  kindness,  and 
walked  arm  in  arm  with  him  to  a  tent,  where  our  man 
found  a  Chinnook  squaw  who  was  an  old  acquaintance. 
From  the  conversation  and  manner  of  the  stranger,  this 
woman  discovered  that  his  object  was  to  murder  the 
white  man  for  the  sake  of  the  few  articles  on  his  person; 
and  when  he  rose  and  pressed  our  man  to  go  to  another 
tent,  where  they  would  find  something  better  to  eat, 
she  held  McNeal  by  the  blanket.  Not  knowing  her 
object,  he  freed  himself  from  her,  and  was  going  on  with 


Lewis  and  Clark  189 

his  pretended  friend,  when  she  ran  out  and  gave  a 
shriek  which  brought  the  men  of  the  village  over,  and 
the  stranger  ran  off  before  McNeal  knew  what  had 
occasioned  the  alarm." 

With  a  small  load  of  blubber  and  oil,  the  party  re- 
turned to  the  fort,  where  they  found  that  game  was  still 
being  killed,  and  endeavored  to  jerk  some  of  it.  Much 
is  said  in  the  journal  about  the  various  Indian  tribes  of 
the  neighborhood,  their  method  of  hunting  and  fishing, 
their  habitations,  and  their  dress  and  implements. 
The  canoes,  and  the  skill  in  managing  them,  excited  the 
unfeigned  admiration  of  the  white  men;  and  the  fact 
that  such  canoes  could  be  constructed  by  people  with- 
out axes,  and  armed  only  with  a  chisel,  made  of  an  old 
file,  about  an  inch  or  an  inch  and  a  half  in  width,  seemed 
to  them  very  extraordinary.  It  was  noted  that  some 
of  the  Indians,  especially  the  women,  appeared  to  tattoo 
the  legs  and  arms;  and  on  the  arm  of  one  woman  was 
read  the  name  J.  Bowman;  perhaps  some  trader  who 
had  visited  the  locality.  Among  these  people  women 
were  very  well  treated,  and  old  age  was  highly  respected. 


CHAPTER  XII 
LEWIS  AND  CLARK 


THE  winter  was  spent  chiefly  in  procuring  food 
and  in  observing  the  natives  and  the  geography 
of  the  neighboring  country,  and  the  expedition 
had  not  expected  to  leave  their  permanent  camp,  Fort 
Clatsop,  before  the  first  of  April.  By  the  first  of  March, 
however,  the  elk,  on  which  they  chiefly  depended  for 
food,  had  moved  away  to  ascend  the  mountains,  and 
their  trade  goods  being  almost  exhausted,  they  were 
too  poor  to  purchase  food  from  the  Indians.  It  was 
evident  that  they  must  start  back  up  the  river,  in  the 
hope  of  there  finding  food,  and  must  reach  the  point 
where  they  had  left  their  horses  before  the  Indians  there 
should  have  moved  off  across  the  mountains  or  dis- 
persed over  the  country. 

During  the  winter  they  had  worked  hard  at  dressing 
skins,  so  that  they  were  now  well  clad,  and  had  besides 
three  or  four  hundred  pairs  of  moccasins.  They  still 
had  also  one  hundred  and  forty  pounds  of  powder  and 
about  twice  that  weight  of  lead,  quite  enough  to  carry 
them  back. 

190 


Lewis  and  Clark  191 

On  the  23d  of  March,  therefore,  after  giving  certifi- 
cates to  some  of  the  Indian  chiefs,  and  leaving  tacked 
up  on  one  of  their  cabins  a  notice  of  their  successful 
crossing  of  the  continent  and  their  start  back,  they  set 
out  in  two  canoes  up  the  Columbia.  As  they  passed 
along  they  at  first  found  little  difficulty  in  securing  pro- 
visions from  the  acquaintances  they  had  made  while 
descending  the  river;  and  besides  this,  the  hunters  killed 
some  game.  Before  long,  however,  they  began  to  meet 
Indians  coming  down  the  river  who  informed  them  that 
they  had  been  driven  from  the  Great  Rapids  by  lack  of 
provisions,  their  winter  store  of  dried  fish  having  be- 
come exhausted,  and  the  salmon  not  being  expected 
for  a  month  or  more.  This  was  dismal  news  to  people 
who  were  ascending  the  river  in  the  hope  of  obtaining 
provisions,  but  there  was  nothing  for  them  to  do  except 
to  keep  on,  living  on  the  country  as  well  as  they  could, 
trying  to  reach  the  place  where  they  had  left  their  horses 
before  the  Indians  should  have  departed.  Their  hun- 
ters succeeded  in  killing  some  deer  and  elk  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river,  though  there  seemed  no  game 
on  the  north.  Besides  that,  the  deer  killed  were  so 
extremely  thin  in  flesh  that  it  hardly  seemed  worth 
while  to  bring  them  into  camp. 

Many  of  the  Indians  still  stood  in  great  fear  of  the 
"medicine"  of  the  white  men;  and  Captain  Clark,  re- 
turning from  a  short  exploring  trip,  saw  an  example  of 
this.  "On  entering  one  of  the  apartments  of  the  house, 
Captain  Clark  offered  several  articles  to  the  Indians  in 
exchange  for  wappatoo;  but  they  appeared  sullen  and 


192  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

ill-humored,  and  refused  to  give  him  any.  He  there- 
fore sat  down  by  the  fire  opposite  to  the  men,  and,  draw- 
ing a  portfire  match  from  his  pocket,  threw  a  small  piece 
of  it  into  the  flames;  at  the  same  time  he  took  out  his 
pocket  compass,  and  by  means  of  a  magnet  which  hap- 
pened to  be  in  his  inkhorn,  made  the  needle  turn  round 
very  briskly.  The  match  immediately  took  fire,  and 
burned  violently,  on  which  the  Indians,  terrified  at  this 
strange  exhibition,  brought  a  quantity  of  wappatoo  and 
laid  it  at  his  feet,  begging  him  to  put  out  the  bad  fire; 
while  an  old  woman  continued  to  speak  with  great 
vehemence,  as  if  praying  and  imploring  protection. 
After  receiving  the  roots,  Captain  Clark  put  up  the 
compass,  and,  as  the  match  went  out  of  itself,  tran- 
quillity was  restored,  though  the  women  and  children 
still  sought  refuge  in  their  beds  and  behind  the  men. 
He  now  paid  them  for  what  he  had  used,  and,  after 
lighting  his  pipe  and  smoking  with  them,  continued 
down  the  river." 

The  hunters  still  were  killing  some  game,  but  it  was 
so  thin  as  to  be  unfit  for  use;  six  deer  and  an  elk  were 
left  in  the  timber,  while  two  deer  and  a  bear  were 
brought  in.  The  wappatoo  was  now  largely  the  food 
of  all  the  Indians.  The  bulb,  which  grows  in  all  the 
ponds  of  the  interior,  is  gathered  by  the  women,  who, 
standing  in  deep  water,  feel  about  in  the  mud  for  the 
roots  of  the  plant  and  detach  the  bulbs  with  their  toes; 
these  rise  to  the  surface  and  are  thrown  into  the  canoe. 
The  roots  are  like  a  small  potato  and  are  light  and  very 
nutritious. 


Lewis  and  Clark  193 

A  few  days  later  they  obtained  from  the  Indians  the 
skin  of  a  "sheep"  (mountain  goat),  which  is  described 
so  that  there  is  no  doubt  about  the  identification.  The 
hunters  also  killed  three  black-tailed  deer.  Near 
Sepulcher  Rock,  a  burial-place  for  the  surrounding 
tribes,  Captain  Clark  crossed  the  river  in  the  endeavor 
to  purchase  a  few  horses,  by  which  they  might  trans- 
port their  baggage  and  some  provisions  across  the 
mountains,  but  in  this  he  was  unsuccessful.  However, 
some  Indians  were  met,  who  promised  a  little  later  to 
meet  them  and  furnish  some  horses.  At  the  foot  of  the 
Great  Narrows  four  were  purchased  to  assist  in  carry- 
ing the  baggage  and  the  outfit  over  the  portage. 

The  Indians  at  the  upper  end  were  rejoicing  over  the 
catching  of  the  first  salmon;  and  they  were  so  good- 
natured  that  they  sold  the  white  men  four  more  horses 
for  two  kettles,  which  reduced  the  stock  of  kettles  to  one. 
There  was  a  good  deal  of  trouble  here  from  thefts  by 
the  Indians,  and  from  their  practice  of  trading  articles 
and  then  returning  and  giving  back  the  price  that  they 
had  received  and  demanding  articles  that  had  been 
traded.  So  annoying  did  this  become,  that  Captain 
Clark  declared  to  the  Indians  in  council  assembled  that 
the  next  man  caught  thieving  would  be  shot;  and  a 
little  bit  later  he  was  obliged  to  threaten  to  burn  the  vil- 
lage. At  last,  however,  they  got  away,  with  ten  horses, 
and  proceeding  up  the  river  secured  a  few  others.  By 
this  time  they  had  exhausted  pretty  much  all  their  trade 
goods,  and  the  capacity  to  buy  was  about  at  an  end. 
The  Indian  tribes  that  they  were  passing  now  did  not 


194  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

seem  to  be  particularly  friendly  and  held  themselves 
aloof;  but  a  chief  of  the  Walla  Wallas,  whom  they 
met  a  little  later,  treated  them  most  hospitably,  and  in 
striking  contrast  to  the  people  that  they  had  lately  seen. 
This  chief  presented  Captain  Clark  with  a  fine  horse, 
and  received  in  return  a  sword,  one  hundred  balls, 
some  powder,  and  some  other  small  presents.  The 
chief  helped  them  cross  the  river  in  his  canoes,  and 
they  camped  on  the  Columbia,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Walla  Walla  River.  They  now  possessed  twenty-three 
horses,  and  on  the  whole  were  in  pretty  good  shape, 
except  that  they  had  but  little  food  and  had  nothing 
left  which  they  could  trade  for  food.  About  the  first 
of  May  they  met  a  party  of  Indians,  consisting  of  one 
of  the  chiefs  of  the  Nez  Perces  who  had  gone  down 
Lewis  River  with  them  the  previous  year  and  had  been 
of  great  service  to  them,  and  had  now  come  to  meet 
them.  They  were  now  out  of  provisions,  but  at  an 
Indian  camp  not  far  off  managed  to  obtain  two  lean 
dogs  and  some  roots.  As  they  went  on  they  learned 
that  most  of  the  Nez  Perces  were  scattered  out  gather- 
ing spring  roots,  but  the  Indian  in  whose  charge  their 
horses  had  been  left  was  not  far  away. 

At  this  point  the  explorers  were  applied  to  by  two 
or  three  persons  who  were  ill,  and  their  simple  treatment 
benefiting  the  Indians,  their  fame  greatly  increased. 
The  white  men  were  careful  to  give  the  Indians  only 
harmless  medicine,  trying  to  assist  nature  rather  than 
to  do  anything  that  was  radical.  The  Indians  who  had 
been  benefited  gave  material  evidence  of  their  gratitude. 


Lewis  and  Clark  195 

Since  they  had  been  on  the  Columbia  River  the  In- 
dians had  made  great  fun  of  the  white  men  because  they 
ate  dogs,  and  it  was  just  after  their  experience  in  doctor- 
ing, but  at  another  village,  that  "an  Indian  standing  by, 
and  looking  with  great  derision  at  our  eating  dog's  flesh, 
threw  a  poor  half-starved  puppy  almost  into  Captain 
Lewis's  plate,  laughing  heartily  at  the  humor  of  it. 
Captain  Lewis  took  up  the  animal  and  flung  it  back 
with  great  force  into  the  fellow's  face,  and  seizing  his 
tomahawk,  threatened  to  cut  him  down  if  he  dared 
to  repeat  such  insolence.  He  immediately  withdrew, 
apparently  much  mortified,  and  we  continued  our  dog 
repast  very  quietly."  Continuing  their  journey,  they 
were  again  applied  to  for  medical  advice  and  assistance, 
but  declined  to  practice  without  remuneration.  One 
or  two  small  operations  were  performed,  and  a  woman 
who  had  been  treated,  declaring  the  next  day  that  she 
felt  much  better,  her  husband  brought  up  a  horse, 
which  they  at  once  killed. 

Having  crossed  the  river,  on  the  advice  of  the  Indians 
that  more  game  was  to  be  found,  they  kept  on  their  way, 
and  the  day  after  the  hunters  brought  in  four  deer, 
which,  with  the  remains  of  the  horse,  gave  them  for  the 
moment  an  abundant  supply  of  food.  Here  they  met 
Twisted  Hair,  in  whose  charge  they  had  left  their 
horses.  He  told  them  that,  owing  to  the  care  that  he 
had  taken  of  their  horses,  he  had  been  obliged  to  quarrel 
with  other  chiefs,  who  were  jealous  of  him,  and  that 
finally  he  had  given  up  the  care  of  the  horses,  which 
were  now  scattered.  They  soon  recovered  twenty-one 


196  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

of  their  horses — most  of  which  were  in  good  condition — 
a  part  of  their  saddles,  and  some  powder  and  lead 
which  had  been  put  in  the  cache  with  them.  The 
Indians  gave  them  two  fat  young  horses  for  food,  ask- 
ing nothing  in  return,  and  the  hospitality  and  generosity 
of  these  Indians  made  a  great  impression  on  the  white 
men,  who  were  now  disposed  to  treat  them  with  a  great 
deal  more  courtesy  and  consideration  than  had  been 
their  custom.  Captain  Lewis  at  this  meeting  is  quite 
enthusiastic  about  these  Chopunnish  Indians,  whom  he 
describes  as  industrious,  cleanly,  and  generous — a  report 
quite  different  from  that  made  on  the  way  down  the  river. 
At  the  village  where  they  camped  May  1 1,  the  Indians 
lived  in  a  single  house,  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long, 
built  of  sticks,  straw,  and  dried  grass.  It  contained 
about  twenty-four  fires,  about  double  that  number  of 
families,  and  might  muster,  perhaps,  one  hundred 
fighting  men.  The  difficulty  of  talking  to  these  Indians 
was  great,  for  Captains  Lewis  and  Clark  were  obliged 
to  speak  in  English  to  one  of  the  men,  who  translated 
this  in  French  to  Chaboneau,  who  interpreted  to  his 
wife  in  Minnetari;  she  told  it  in  Shoshoni  to  a  young 
Shoshoni  prisoner,  who  finally  explained  it  to  the  Nez 
Perces  in  their  own  tongue.  After  the  council  was  over, 
the  wonders  of  the  compass,  the  spy-glass,  the  magnet, 
the  watch,  and  the  air-gun  were  all  shown  to  the  Indians. 
Here  they  were  obliged  also  to  do  a  good  deal  of  doctor- 
ing, and  finally  another  council  was  held,  at  which  it 
was  agreed  by  the  Indians  to  follow  the  advice  of  Cap- 
tains Lewis  and  Clark.  Presents  were  made  by  the 


Lewis  and  Clark  197 

Indians  to  the  whites,  and  to  each  chief  was  given  a  flag, 
a  pound  of  powder,  and  fifty  balls,  and  the  same  to  the 
young  men  who  had  presented  horses  to  them.  They 
also  paid  the  man  who  had  charge  of  their  horses,  in 
part,  agreeing  with  him  to  give  the  balance  so  soon  as 
the  remainder  of  the  horses  were  brought  in. 

On  the  I4th  of  May  they  crossed  the  river  and  made  a 
camp,  where  they  purposed  to  wait  until  the  snow  had 
melted  in  the  mountains.  The  hunters  killed  two  bears 
and  some  small  game,  much  of  which  they  gave  to  the 
Indians,  to  whom  it  was  a  great  treat,  since  they  seldom 
had  a  taste  of  flesh.  Many  patients  continued  to  be 
brought  to  them,  whom  they  doctored,  and  with  some 
success. 

Early  in  June  they  began  to  make  preparations  to 
cross  the  mountains,  though  the  Indians  told  them  it 
would  be  impossible  to  do  this  before  about  the  first 
of  July.  They  were  now  well  provided  with  animals, 
each  man  having  a  good  riding  horse,  with  a  second 
horse  for  a  pack,  and  some  loose  horses  to  be  used  in 
case  of  accident  or  for  food.  The  salmon  had  not  yet 
come  up  the  river.  They  started  on  the  I5th  of  June 
in  a  rain,  and  on  the  way  found  three  deer,  which  their 
hunters  had  killed.  They  soon  began  to  climb  the 
mountains,  and  before  long  found  themselves  travelling 
over  hard  snow,  which  bore  up  their  horses  well;  but  it 
was  evident  that  the  journey  would  be  too  long  to  make, 
since  for  several  days'  travel  there  would  be  no  food  for 
the  animals.  So  they  were  obliged  to  turn  back  and 
wait  for  the  warmer  weather. 


198  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

Two  men  who  had  been  sent  back  to  the  Indian  vil- 
lage to  hurry  up  the  Indians  who  had  promised  to  cross 
the  mountains  with  them,  and  make  peace  with  the 
Indians  on  the  upper  Missouri,  returned  with  three 
Indians  who  agreed  to  go  with  them  to  the  falls  of 
the  Missouri.  A  little  later  they  started  again,  usually 
keeping  on  the  divide,  in  order  to  head  all  streams  and 
not  cross  any  running  water.  The  country  was  com- 
pletely covered  with  snow.  On  the  26th  of  June  they 
camped  high  up  on  the  mountains,  where  there  was 
good  food  for  the  horses.  The  travelling  was  pleasant, 
the  snow  hard.  Their  provisions  had  now  about  given 
out,  however,  except  that  they  still  had  some  roots;  but 
now  and  then  a  deer  was  killed,  which  kept  them  from 
absolute  starvation. 

By  July  i  they  had  reached  a  country  where  game  was 
quite  abundant,  deer,  elk,  and  big-horn  being  plenty  in 
the  neighborhood.  It  was  determined  to  divide  the 
party  and  to  cover  more  country  on  the  return  than 
they  had  when  coming  out.  Captain  Lewis,  with  nine 
men,  was  to  go  to  the  falls  of  the  Missouri,  leave  three 
men  there  to  prepare  carts  for  transporting  baggage  and 
canoes  across  the  portage,  and  with  the  remaining  six 
to  ascend  Maria's  River  and  explore  the  country  there. 
The  remainder  of  the  party  were  to  go  to  the  head  of 
the  Jefferson  River,  where  nine  men  under  Sergeant 
Ordway  should  descend  it  with  the  canoes.  Captain 
Clark's  party  was  to  go  to  the  Yellowstone,  there  build 
canoes,  and  go  down  that  river  with  seven  men;  while 
Sergeant  Pryor,  with  two  others,  should  take  the  horses 


Lewis  and  Clark  199 


overland  to  the  Mandans,  and  thence  go  north  to  the 
British  posts  on  the  Assiniboine  and  induce  Mr. 
Henry  to  persuade  some  of  the  Sioux  chiefs  to  go  with 
him  to  Washington.  This  plan  was  carried  out. 

Captain  Lewis  kept  on  to  the  Dearborn  River.  This 
was  a  good  game  country  and  they  made  rapid  prog- 
ress, and  before  long  found  themselves  at  their  old 
station,  White  Bear  Island.  During  the  flood  of  the 
river  the  water  had  entered  their  cache  and  spoiled 
much  of  their  property.  They  had  much  trouble  here 
with  lost  horses,  and  one  of  their  men,  riding  suddenly 
upon  a  bear,  his  horse  wheeled  and  threw  him,  and  the 
bear  drove  him  up  a  tree  where  he  was  kept  all  day. 

Captain  Lewis  now  started  to  explore  the  Maria's 
River,  and,  following  it  up,  almost  reached  the  foot 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Here  they  met  a  band  of 
Indians,  who  stated  that  they  were  Gros  Ventres  of  the 
Prairie,  or,  as  Lewis  and  Clark  put  it,  Minnetari  of  Fort 
de  Prairie,  and  who,  after  some  hesitation,  appeared  to 
be  friendly  enough,  and  smoked  with  Captain  Lewis. 
They  expressed  themselves  as  willing  to  be  at  peace  with 
the  Indians  across  the  mountains,  but  said  that  those 
Indians  had  lately  killed  a  number  of  their  relations. 
Captain  Lewis  kept  a  very  close  watch,  fearing  that  the 
Indians  would  steal  his  horses.  This  did  not  happen, 
but  on  the  following  day,  July  27,  the  Indians  seized 
the  rifles  of  four  of  the  party.  As  soon  as  Fields  and 
his  brother  saw  the  Indian  running  off  with  their  two 
rifles  they  pursued  him,  and,  overtaking  him,  stabbed 
him  through  the  heart  with  a  knife.  The  other  guns 


20O  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

were  recovered  without  killing  any  of  the  Indians;  but  as 
they  were  trying  to  drive  off  the  horses,  Captain  Lewis 
ordered  the  men  to  follow  up  the  main  party,  who  were 
driving  the  horses,  and  shoot  them.  He  himself  ran 
after  two  other  Indians,  who  were  driving  away  an- 
other bunch  of  horses,  and  so  nearly  overtook  them 
that  they  left  twelve  of  their  own  animals  but  continued 
to  drive  off  one  belonging  to  the  white  men.  Captain 
Lewis  had  now  run  as  far  as  he  could,  and  calling  to  the 
Indians  several  times  that  unless  they  gave  up  the  horse 
he  would  shoot,  he  finally  did  so,  and  killed  an  Indian. 
The  other  men  now  began  to  come  up,  having  recovered 
a  considerable  number  of  the  horses;  they  had  lost  one 
of  their  own  horses  and  captured  four  belonging  to  the 
Indians.  They  now  retreated  down  the  river  with  the 
horses  that  they  had,  but  took  nothing  from  the  Indians' 
camp. 

These  Indians  were  probably  not  Gros  Ventres,  as 
stated  in  the  Lewis  and  Clark  journal.  Precisely  the 
same  story  was  told  me  in  the  year  1888  by  the  oldest 
Indian  in  the  Blackfoot  camp,  as  having  been  witnessed 
by  him  in  his  boyhood  on  Birch  Creek,  a  branch  of  the 
Maria's.  Wolf  Calf,  the  narrator,  was  considered  much 
the  oldest  Indian  in  the  Piegan  camp,  and  was  sup- 
posed to  be  more  than  ninety-five  years  old.  The 
Indian  killed  by  Fields  was  named  Side  Hill  Calf. 
He  said  that  he  was  a  boy  with  the  Indian  war  party. 

Captain  Lewis,  believing  that  they  would  be  promptly 
pursued  by  a  much  larger  party  of  Indians  and  attacked, 
at  once  began  a  retreat.  The  Indian  horses  which  had 


Lewis  and  Clark  201 

been  captured  proved  good  ones,  the  plains  were  level, 
and  they  rode  hard  for  more  than  eighty  miles,  only  stop- 
ping twice  to  kill  a  buffalo  and  to  rest  their  horses. 
They  stopped  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  day- 
light started  on  again,  and  at  last  when  they  reached  the 
Missouri  they  heard  the  report  of  a  gun,  and  then  a 
number  of  reports  and  before  long  had  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  their  friends  going  down  the  river.  They 
landed,  and  Captain  Lewis's  party,  after  turning  loose 
the  horses,  embarked,  with  the  baggage,  and  kept  on 
down  the  stream.  Before  long  they  met  Sergeants  Gass 
and  Willard,  who  were  bringing  down  horses  from  the 
falls,  and  now  the  whole  party  had  come  together,  ex- 
cept Captain  Clark's  outfit,  which  had  gone  down  the 
Yellowstone. 

The  journey  down  the  Missouri  was  quickly  made, 
and  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone  a  note  was  found 
from  Captain  Clark,  who  had  gone  on  before  them. 
Not  far  below  this  Captain  Lewis,  while  hunting  elk  on 
a  willow  grove  sand-bar,  was  shot  in  the  thigh  by  his 
companion,  Cruzatte,  who  apparently  mistook  him  for 
an  elk,  he  being  clad  in  buckskin.  At  first  Captain 
Lewis  thought  that  they  had  been  attacked  by  Indians, 
but  no  signs  of  Indians  being  found,  the  conclusion  that 
Cruzatte  had  shot  him,  apparently  by  mistake,  seemed 
inevitable.  On  August  12  they  met  Captain  Clark's 
party,  whose  adventures  had  been  much  less  startling 
than  theirs.  His  party  had  started  up  Wisdom  River, 
on  the  west  side  of  the  mountains,  and,  crossing  over  to 
the  head  of  the  Jefferson,  had  passed  through  a  beauti- 


2O2  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

ful  country — the  Beaverhead — very  lovely  in  its  sur- 
roundings, with  fertile  soil,  and  abounding  in  game. 

Most  of  the  party  had  gone  down  the  river  in  canoes, 
but  a  few  men  had  been  left  on  the  land  to  drive  down 
the  horses.  A  part  of  these,  under  Sergeant  Ordway, 
kept  on  down  the  river,  while  at  the  mouth  of  the  Madi- 
son, Captain  Clark,  with  ten  men  and  the  wife  and  child 
of  Chaboneau,  taking  the  fifty  horses,  crossed  over  to 
go  to  the  Yellowstone  and  descend  it.  When  they 
reached  the  Yellowstone,  they  followed  it  down  for  some 
little  time,  through  a  country  abounding  in  buffalo, 
deer,  and  elk.  Very  likely  they  would  have  gone  on  far- 
ther but  for  an  accident  to  one  of  the  men,  who  was  so 
badly  hurt  that  he  could  not  sit  on  his  horse.  Small 
timber  being  found,  canoes  were  constructed,  which 
were  lashed  together  and  loaded  preparatory  to  setting 
out.  While  all  this  was  being  done,  twenty-four  of  their 
horses  disappeared,  and  a  little  search  showed  a  piece  of 
rope  and  a  moccasin,  which  made  it  clear  that  the  horses 
had  been  run  off  by  the  Indians.  Sergeant  Pryor,  with 
two  men,  was  ordered  to  take  the  remaining  horses 
down  the  river  to  the  mouth  of  the  Bighorn,  where  they 
could  cross  and  from  there  he  was  to  take  them  to 
the  Mandans.  The  canoes  which  went  on  down  the 
river  passed  various  streams,  and  at  one  point  came 
upon  what  appeared  to  have  been  a  medicine  lodge  of 
the  Blackfeet.  At  a  stream  to  which  they  gave  the 
name  of  Horse  Creek,  they  found  Pryor  with  his  ani- 
mals. He  had  had  much  trouble  in  driving  the  horses, 
since,  as  many  of  them  had  been  used  by  the  Indians 


Lewis  and  Clark  203 

in  hunting  buffalo,  whenever  they  saw  a  bunch  of 
buffalo  they  would  set  off  in  pursuit  of  them.  To  pre- 
vent this,  Sergeant  Pryor  was  obliged  to  send  one  man 
ahead  of  the  horse  herd  to  drive  away  the  buffalo. 

From  the  top  of  Pompey's  Pillar  Captain  Clark  had  a 
wide  and  beautiful  prospect  over  the  country,  dotted 
everywhere  by  herds  of  buffalo,  elk,  and  wolves.  Big- 
horn were  abundant  here  and  farther  down  the  stream, 
and  the  noise  of  the  buffalo — for  this  was  now  the  rutting 
season — was  continuous.  The  large  herds  of  elk  were 
so  gentle  that  they  might  be  approached  within  twenty 
paces  without  being  alarmed.  The  abundance  of  buf- 
falo was  so  great  that  the  travellers  were  in  great  fear, 
either  that  they  would  come  into  their  camp  at  night  and 
destroy  their  boats  by  trampling  on  them,  or  that  the 
herds,  which  were  constantly  crossing  the  river,  would 
upset  the  boats.  Bears,  also,  were  very  abundant,  and 
quite  as  fierce  as  they  had  been  on  the  Missouri.  Cap- 
tain Clark  killed  one,  the  largest  female  that  they  had 
seen,  and  so  old  that  the  canine  teeth  had  been  worn 
quite  smooth.  Mosquitoes  here  were  terribly  abundant; 
several  times,  it  is  said,  they  alighted  on  the  rifle  barrels 
in  such  numbers  that  it  was  impossible  to  take  sight. 

On  August  8  they  were  joined  by  Sergeant  Pryor  and 
his  men,  who  had  no  horses;  every  one  of  them  had  been 
taken  off  the  second  day  after  they  left  the  party  by 
Indians.  They  followed  them  for  a  short  distance,  but 
without  overtaking  them;  and  finally  coming  back  to 
the  river,  built  two  row-boats,  in  which  they  came  down 
the  stream  with  the  utmost  safety  and  comfort.  On  the 


204  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

nth  of  August  they  met  two  trappers  who  had  left 
Illinois  in  the  summer  of  1804,  and  had  spent  the  follow- 
ing winter  with  the  Tetons,  where  they  had  robbed  and 
swindled  a  French  trader  out  of  all  his  goods.  They 
told  Captain  Clark  that  the  Mandans  and  Minnetaris 
were  at  war  with  the  Arikaras,  and  had  killed  two  of 
them,  and  also  that  the  Assiniboines  were  at  war  with 
the  Mandans,  news  which  could  not  have  been  very 
pleasing  to  the  explorers,  whose  efforts  on  their  way  up 
the  river  had  been  so  strong  for  peace. 

The  party  having  come  together  on  August  12,  they 
kept  on  down  the  river,  and  two  days  later  reached  the 
village  of  the  Mandans.  Here  they  had  protracted 
councils  with  the  Mandans  and  Minnetaris,  and  tried 
hard  to  persuade  some  of  them  to  go  on  with  them  to 
Washington.  Colter  applied  to  the  commanding  offi- 
cers for  permission  to  join  the  two  trappers  who  had 
come  down  the  river  to  this  point,  and  he  was  accord- 
ingly discharged,  supplied  with  powder  and  lead,  and  a 
number  of  other  articles  which  might  be  useful  to  him. 
The  next  day  he  started  back  up  the  river.  What 
Colter's  subsequent  adventures  were  is  well  known  to 
any  one  who  has  followed  the  course  of  early  explora- 
tion in  the  West.  Colter's  Hell,  if  we  recollect  right, 
was  the  first  name  ever  applied  to  the  geyser  basins 
of  the  Yellowstone  Park. 

Though  the  Mandans  and  Minnetaris  were  as  friendly 
and  hospitable  as  possible,  and  gave  them  great  stores 
of  corn,  none  of  the  principal  men  would  consent  to  go 
to  Washington.  They  promised,  however,  to  be  more 


Lewis  and  Clark  205 

attentive  to  the  requests  of  the  white  men,  to  keep  the 
peace  with  their  neighbors,  and  were  greatly  pleased 
and  proud  of  the  gift  to  the  chief  of  the  Minnetaris,  Le 
Borgne,  of  the  swivel,  for  which  Captain  Clark  no  longer 
had  any  use,  as  it  could  not  be  discharged  from  the 
canoes  on  which  they  were  travelling.  Here,  too,  they 
discharged  their  interpreter,  Chaboneau,  who  wished 
to  remain  with  his  wife  and  child.  One  of  the  chiefs, 
Big  White,  consented,  with  his  wife  and  child,  to  accom- 
pany the  white  men.  Before  the  expedition  finally  left 
the  village  there  was  a  last  talk  with  the  Indians,  who 
sent  word  to  the  Arikaras  by  Captain  Clark,  inviting 
them  to  come  up  and  meet  them,  and  saying  that  they 
really  desired  peace  with  the  Arikaras,  but  that  they 
could  place  no  dependence  on  anything  that  the  Sioux 
might  say. 

Keeping  on  down  the  river,  they  found  game  plenty 
and  the  mosquitoes  troublesome.  At  the  Ankara  vil- 
lage they  were  well  received,  and  found  there  a  camp  of 
Cheyennes,  also  friendly.  The  Rees  expressed  willing- 
ness to  follow  the  advice  that  Captain  Clark  had  given 
them,  but  made  many  excuses  for  the  failure  to  follow 
their  counsels  of  the  year  before.  The  Cheyenne  chief 
invited  the  white  men  to  his  lodge,  and  Captain  Clark 
presented  a  medal  to  the  chief,  to  that  individual's 
great  alarm,  for  he  feared  that  it  was  "medicine"  and 
might  in  some  way  harm  him.  The  Cheyennes  are 
described  as  friendly  and  well-disposed,  though  shy. 

The  trip  down  the  river  was  unmarked  by  adven- 
ture. Enormous  quantities  of  buffalo  were  seen,  and 


206  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

on  the  3Oth  of  August  they  came  upon  a  party  of  Teton 
Sioux,  under  a  chief  called  Black  Bull.  Other  Sioux 
were  seen,  and  on  September  3  they  came  to  the  trad- 
ing post  of  a  Mr.  James  Airs,  who  presented  each  of 
the  party  with  as  much  tobacco  as  he  could  use  for  the 
rest  of  the  voyage,  and  also  gave  them  a  barrel  of  flour. 
Below  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Sioux  River  they  passed 
Floyd's  grave,  which  they  found  had  been  opened. 
Two  days  later  they  passed  the  trading  post  of  one  of 
the  Choteaus  and  a  little  later  the  Platte,  and  at  last, 
on  September  20,  reached  the  little  village  of  La 
Charette.  On  September  23  they  reached  St.  Louis 
and  went  on  shore,  where  they  received  "  a  most  hearty 
and  hospitable  welcome  from  the  whole  village." 


CHAPTER  XIII 
ZEBULON  M.  PIKE 


SIDE  by  side  in  fact — though  by  no  means  in  popu- 
lar estimation — with  the  heroic  explorers,  Lewis 
and  Clark,  stands  Zebulon  M.  Pike,  the  young 
soldier,  who  first  reached  the  sources  of  the  Mississippi, 
later  those  of  the  Arkansas,  and  who  was  one  of  the 
first  genuine  Americans  to  see  the  Spanish  City  of  the 
Holy  Faith.  Born  in  New  Jersey  in  1779,  Pike  entered 
the  army  in  his  father's  regiment  about  the  year  1794. 
In  July,  1805,  a  lieutenant,  he  was  detailed,  by  order  of 
General  James  Wilkinson,  to  explore  the  sources  of  the 
Mississippi.  From  this  expedition  he  returned  in  1806, 
and  shortly  afterward  set  out  on  an  expedition  up  the 
Kansas  River  to  the  country  of  the  Osages,  and  thence 
to  the  Kitkahahk  village  of  the  Pawnees,  then  on  the 
Republican  River.  From  here  he  went  westward  to 
the  sources  of  the  Arkansas  River,  in  what  is  now  Colo- 
rado. On  this  expedition  he  approached  Santa  Fe, 
was  captured  by  the  Spaniards,  and  escorted  south 
through  Mexico  and  what  is  now  Texas  to  the  Spanish- 
American  boundary  on  the  borders  of  the  present  State 
of  Louisiana,  where  he  was  set  free. 

207 


208  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

It  would  be  perhaps  difficult  to  point  out,  since  Rev- 
olutionary times,  a  more  heroic  figure  than  that  of  Pike, 
or  to  name  a  man  who  did  more  for  his  country. 
It  is  chiefly  as  an  explorer  that  we  must  now  con- 
sider him,  and  must  briefly  tell  the  history  of  his  jour- 
neyings  for  two  years  through  that  country  which  was 
then  Louisiana;  yet  his  subsequent  and  involuntary 
wanderings  through  Mexico  and  Texas  cannot  be 
separated  from  his  earlier  travels.  Some  time  after  his 
return  from  the  Southwest,  he  wrote  a  book,  which  was 
issued  four  years  before  the  journal  of  Lewis  and  Clark. 
In  reviewing  his  life  of  exploration,  we  shall  in  large 
measure  let  him  tell  his  own  story. 

On  the  Qth  of  August,  1805,  with  one  sergeant,  two 
corporals,  and  seventeen  privates,  Pike  started  from 
St.  Louis  up  the  Mississippi  River  in  a  keel  boat  seventy 
feet  long  and  provisioned  for  four  months.  The  water 
was  swift,  the  way  hard,  and  they  had  much  foul 
weather,  which  held  them  back,  and  made  their  days 
and  nights  uncomfortable.  Occasionally  they  saw 
fishing  camps  of  Indians,  and  passed  the  farms  of  some 
Frenchmen,  lately  transferred  without  their  knowledge 
or  consent  from  allegiance  to  old  France  to  citizenship 
in  the  new  United  States. 

One  of  Pike's  especial  duties  was  to  conciliate  the 
Indians  he  met,  and,  so  far  as  possible,  to  arrange  for 
peace  between  warring  aboriginal  tribes.  On  the  2Oth 
he  came  to  a  Sac  village,  where  he  had  a  talk  with  the 
Indians,  who  listened  to  him  respectfully,  and  appeared 
to  agree  to  what  he  said.  Further  along  he  met  villages 


LIEUTENANT  ZEBULON  MONTGOMERY  PIKE,  MONUMENT  AT 
COLORADO  SPRINGS,  COLORADO. 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  209 

of  the  Reynards,  or  Foxes,  showing  that  at  this  time  the 
Sacs  and  Foxes  were  living  separately,  though  allies. 

The  way  was  long,  and  progress,  though  often  cover- 
ing thirty  or  forty  miles  a  day,  was  slow,  owing  to  the 
windings  of  the  river.  Pike  was  now  approaching  that 
debatable  land  over  which  the  Sioux  and  Sauteurs  or 
Ojibwas  were  continually  fighting  backward  and  for- 
ward. He  tells  of  meeting,  September  i,  Monsieur 
Dubuque,  who  told  him  that  these  tribes  were  then  en- 
gaged in  active  hostilities,  and,  among  other  things,  that 
a  war  party  "  composed  of  Sacs,  Reynards,  and  Puants 
(Winnebagoes),  of  200  warriors,  had  embarked  on  an 
expedition  against  the  Sauteurs,  but  they  had  heard 
that  the  chief,  having  had  an  unfavorable  dream,  per- 
suaded the  party  to  return,  and  that  I  would  meet  them 
on  my  voyage."  This  is  interesting,  as  showing  that  at 
this  time  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  who  are  of  Algonquin 
stock,  had  allied  themselves  with  the  Winnebagoes  of 
Siouan  stock  against  people  of  the  latter  race. 

Indians  were  abundant  here,  and  were  always  on 
the  lookout  for  enemies.  The  firing  of  guns  by  Pike's 
party,  who  had  landed  to  shoot  wild  pigeons,  was  the 
signal  for  some  Indians  in  the  neighborhood  to  rush  to 
their  canoes  and  hastily  embark.  Indeed,  Pike  was 
told  that  all  the  Indians  had  a  dread  of  Americans, 
whom  they  believed  to  be  very  quarrelsome,  very  brave, 
and  very  much  devoted  to  going  to  war;  a  reputation 
which  had  undoubtedly  reached  the  savages  through 
the  English  and  French  traders. 

A  little  further  along,  the  Ouisconsing  River  was 


210  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

reached,  and  they  met  the  Fols  Avoin  Indians,  the 
Menominees,  a  tribe  still  existing  at  Green  Bay,  Wis- 
consin. Further  on  he  had  a  meeting  with  a  number 
of  Sioux  and  Pike  reports  the  council: 

"On  the  arrival  opposite  the  lodges,  the  men  were 
paraded  on  the  bank  with  their  guns  in  their  hands. 
They  saluted  us  with  ball  with  what  might  be  termed 
three  rounds;  which  I  returned  with  three  rounds  from 
each  boat  with  my  blunderbusses.  This  salute,  al- 
though nothing  to  soldiers  accustomed  to  fire,  would 
not  be  so  agreeable  to  many  people;  as  the  Indians  had 
all  been  drinking,  and  as  some  of  them  even  tried  their 
dexterity,  to  see  how  near  the  boat  they  could  strike. 
They  may,  indeed,  be  said  to  have  struck  on  every  side 
of  us.  When  landed,  I  had  my  pistols  in  my  belt  and 
sword  in  hand.  I  was  met  on  the  bank  by  the  chief, 
and  invited  to  his  lodge.  As  soon  as  my  guards  were 
formed  and  sentinels  posted,  I  accompanied  him. 
Some  of  my  men  who  were  going  up  with  me  I  caused 
to  leave  their  arms  behind  as  a  mark  of  confidence. 
At  the  chief's  lodge  I  found  a  clean  mat  and  pillow  for 
me  to  sit  on,  and  the  before-mentioned  pipe  on  a  pair 
of  small  crutches  before  me.  The  chief  sat  on  my  right 
hand,  my  interpreter  and  Mr.  Frazer  on  my  left.  After 
smoking,  the  chief  spoke  to  the  following  purport. 

'That  notwithstanding  he  had  seen  me  at  the  Prairie 
(du  Chien),  he  was  happy  to  take  me  by  the  hand 
among  his  own  people,  and  there  show  his  young  men 
the  respect  due  to  their  new  father  (President  Jefferson). 
That,  when  at  St.  Louis  in  the  spring,  his  father  (Gen- 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  21 1 

eral  Wilkinson)  had  told  him  that  if  he  looked  down  the 
river  he  would  see  one  of  his  young  warriors  (Pike) 
coming  up.  He  now  found  it  true,  and  he  was  happy 
to  see  me,  who  knew  the  Great  Spirit  was  the  father  of 
all,  both  the  white  and  the  red  people;  and  if  one  died 
the  other  could  not  live  long.  That  he  had  never  been 
at  war  with  their  new  father,  and  hoped  always  to  pre- 
serve the  same  understanding  that  now  existed.  That 
he  now  presented  me  with  a  pipe,  to  show  to  the  upper 
bands  as  a  token  of  our  good  understanding,  and  that 
they  might  see  his  work  and  imitate  his  conduct.  That 
he  had  gone  to  St.  Louis  on  a  shameful  visit,  to  carry  a 
murderer;  but  that  we  had  given  the  man  his  life,  and 
he  thanked  us  for  it.  That  he  had  provided  something 
to  eat,  but  he  supposed  I  could  not  eat  it,  and  if  not,  to 
give  it  to  my  young  men.5 

"I  replied:  'That  although  I  had  told  him  at  the 
Prairie  my  business  up  the  Mississippi,  I  would  again 
relate  it  to  him/  I  then  mentioned  the  different  ob- 
jects I  had  in  view  with  regard  to  the  savages  who  had 
fallen  under  our  protection  by  our  late  purchase  from 
the  Spaniards;  the  different  posts  to  be  established;  the 
objects  of  these  posts  as  related  to  them,  supplying  them 
with  necessaries,  having  officers  and  agents  of  Govern- 
ment near  them  to  attend  to  their  business;  and  above 
all,  to  endeavor  to  make  peace  between  the  Sioux  and 
Sauteurs.  'That  if  it  was  possible  on  my  return  I 
should  bring  some  of  the  Sauteurs  down  with  me,  and 
take  with  me  some  of  the  Sioux  chiefs  to  St.  Louis,  there 
to  settle  the  long  and  bloody  war  which  had  existed  be- 


212  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

tween  the  two  nations.  That  I  accepted  his  pipe  with 
pleasure,  as  the  gift  of  a  great  man,  the  chief  of  four 
bands,  and  a  brother;  that  it  should  be  used  as  he  de- 
sired/ I  then  eat  of  the  dinner  he  had  provided,  which 
was  very  grateful.  It  was  wild  rye  [rice]  and  venison, 
of  which  I  sent  four  bowls  to  my  men. 

"I  afterward  went  to  a  dance,  the  performance  of 
which  was  attended  with  many  curious  maneuvers. 
Men  and  women  danced  indiscriminately.  They  were 
all  dressed  in  the  gayest  manner;  each  had  in  the  hand 
a  small  skin  of  some  description,  and  would  frequently 
run  up,  point  their  skin,  and  give  a  puff  with  their 
breath,  when  the  person  blown  at,  whether  man  or 
woman,  would  fall,  and  appear  to  be  almost  lifeless,  or 
in  great  agony,  but  would  recover  slowly,  rise,  and  join 
in  the  dance.  This  they  called  their  great  medicine,  or, 
as  I  understood  the  word,  dance  of  religion,  the  Indians 
believing  that  they  actually  puffed  something  into  each 
others'  bodies  which  occasioned  the  falling,  etc.  It  is 
not  every  person  who  is  admitted;  persons  wishing  to 
join  them  must  first  make  valuable  presents  to  the 
society  to  the  amount  of  forty  or  fifty  dollars,  give  a 
feast,  and  then  be  admitted  with  great  ceremony.  Mr. 
Frazer  informed  me  that  he  was  once  in  the  lodge  with 
some  young  men  who  did  not  belong  to  the  club;  when 
one  of  the  dancers  came  in  they  immediately  threw  their 
blankets  over  him  and  forced  him  out  of  the  lodge;  he 
laughed,  but  the  young  Indians  called  him  a  fool,  and 
said  'he  did  not  know  what  the  dancer  might  blow  into 
his  body/ 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  213 

"I  returned  to  my  boat,  sent  for  the  chief,  and  pre- 
sented him  with  two  carrots  of  tobacco,  four  knives, 
half  a  pound  of  vermilion,  and  one  quart  of  salt.  Mr. 
Frazer  asked  liberty  to  present  them  some  rum;  we 
made  up  a  keg  between  us  of  eight  gallons — two  gallons 
of  whiskey,  the  rest  water.  Mr.  Frazer  informed  the 
chief  that  he  dare  not  give  them  any  without  my  permis- 
sion. The  chief  thanked  me  for  all  my  presents,  and 
said  'they  must  come  free,  as  he  did  not  ask  for  them/ 
I  replied  that  'to  those  who  did  not  ask  for  anything, 
I  gave  freely;  but  to  those  who  asked  for  much,  I  gave 
only  a  little  or  none.' 

"We  embarked  about  half-past  three  o'clock,  came 
three  miles,  and  camped  on  the  west  side.  Mr.  Frazer 
we  left  behind,  but  he  came  up  with  his  two  peroques 
about  dusk.  It  commenced  raining  very  hard.  In  the 
night  a  peroque  arrived  from  the  lodges  at  his  camp. 
During  our  stay  at  their  camp  there  were  soldiers  ap- 
pointed to  keep  the  crowd  from  my  boats,  who  executed 
their  duty  with  vigilance  and  rigor,  driving  men,  wom- 
en, and  children  back  whenever  they  came  near  my 
boats.  At  my  departure,  their  soldiers  said,  'As  I  had 
shaken  hands  with  their  chief,  they  must  shake  hands 
with  my  soldiers.'  In  which  request  I  willingly  in- 
dulged them." 

Pike  was  now  journeying  through  the  country  passed 
over  forty  years  before  by  Carver,  and  he  was  evidently 
familiar  with  his  journeyings.  Of  La  Crosse  prairie  he 
says: 

"On  this  prairie  Mr.  Frazer  showed  me  some  holes 


214  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

dug  by  the  Sioux  when  in  expectation  of  an  attack,  into 
which  they  first  put  their  women  and  children,  and  then 
crawl  themselves.  They  were  generally  round  and 
about  ten  feet  in  diameter,  but  some  were  half-moons 
and  quite  a  breastwork.  This  I  understood  was  the 
chief  work,  which  was  the  principal  redoubt.  Their 
modes  of  constructing  them  are,  the  moment  they  ap- 
prehend or  discover  an  enemy  on  the  prairie,  they 
commence  digging  with  their  knives,  tomahawks,  and  a 
wooden  ladle;  and  in  an  incredibly  short  space  of  time 
they  have  a  hole  sufficiently  deep  to  cover  themselves 
and  their  families  from  the  balls  or  arrows  of  the  enemy. 
They  (enemies)  have  no  idea  of  taking  these  subter- 
raneous redoubts  by  storm,  as  they  would  probably  lose 
a  great  number  of  men  in  the  attack;  and  although 
they  might  be  successful  in  the  event,  it  would  be  con- 
sidered a  very  imprudent  action." 

Heretofore  but  little  food  had  been  killed  by  the  ex- 
pedition, except  pigeons;  but  they  were  now  getting  into 
a  country  where  there  was  more  or  less  game.  On 
September  14,  Pike,  who  had  gone  ashore  with  three 
others  of  his  party  to  hunt,  saw  abundant  sign  of  elk, 
but  failed  to  see  any  of  them,  though  his  men  saw 
three  from  the  boat;  and  from  this  time  forth  more  or 
less  mention  is  made  of  game  by  short  entries,  such  as, 
"Saw  three  bear  swimming  over  the  river."  "Killed 
a  deer,"  "killed  three  geese  and  a  raccoon,"  and  other 
similar  notes. 

On  the  23d  of  September  Pike  held  a  council  with 
the  Sioux,  who,  hearing  by  a  rumor  of  his  arrival  in  the 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  215 

country,  returned  from  a  war  party  on  which  they  had 
set  out.  He  talked  with  these  Sioux,  on  many  matters 
of  which  the  principal  one  was  the  granting  by  the 
Indians  of  a  site  near  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  for  a 
military  post,  as  well  as  the  establishment  of  peace  be- 
tween the  Ojibwas  and  Sioux.  Three  important  chiefs 
named  Little  Crow,  Risen  Moose,  and  the  Son  of  Pin- 
chow,  replied,  promising  him  about  a  hundred  thou- 
sand acres  of  land,  as  well  as  a  safe  conduct  for  himself 
and  such  Ojibwa  chiefs  as  he  might  bring  back  with 
him.  They  were  doubtful,  however,  about  the  pros- 
pects of  making  a  peace  with  their  old-time  enemies. 
The  treaty,  or  grant,  was  drawn  up  and  signed,  and  the 
Sioux  returned  to  their  homes. 

The  following  day  the  flag  from  Pike's  boat  was  miss- 
ing. This  he  naturally  regarded  as  a  very  serious  mis- 
fortune. He  punished  his  sentry,  and  calling  up  his 
friend,  Risen  Moose,  told  him  of  the  trouble,  and  urged 
him  to  try  to  recover  the  flag,  for  he  was  not  by  any 
means  sure  that  it  had  not  been  stolen  by  an  Indian. 
However,  the  next  day  he  was  called  out  of  bed  by 
Little  Crow,  some  of  whose  people  had  found  the  flag 
floating  in  the  water  below  their  village,  and  believing 
that  this  must  mean  that  the  white  men  had  been  at- 
tacked, Little  Crow  had  come  up  to  see  what  the  matter 
was.  The  appearance  of  the  flag  at  Little  Crow's  vil- 
lage had  put  an  end  to  a  quarrel  which  was  in  progress 
between  his  people  and  those  of  a  chief  called  White 
Goose.  Pike  says:  "The  parties  were  charging  their 
guns,  and  preparing  for  action,  when  lo!  the  flag  ap- 


216  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

peared  like  a  messenger  of  peace  sent  to  prevent  their 
bloody  purposes.  They  were  all  astonished  to  see  it. 
The  staff  was  broken.  Then  Petit  Corbeau  arose  and 
spoke  to  this  effect:  'That  a  thing  so  sacred  had  not 
been  taken  from  my  boat  without  violence;  that  it 
would  be  proper  for  them  to  hush  all  private  animosities 
until  they  had  revenged  the  cause  of  their  eldest  brother; 
that  he  would  immediately  go  up  to  St.  Peter's  to  know 
what  dogs  had  done  that  thing,  in  order  to  take  steps 
to  get  satisfaction  of  those  who  had  done  the  mischief.' 
They  all  listened  to  this  reasoning;  he  immediately 
had  the  flag  put  out  to  dry,  and  embarked  for  my  camp. 
I  was  much  concerned  to  hear  of  the  blood  likely  to 
have  been  shed,  and  gave  him  five  yards  of  blue  stroud, 
three  yards  of  calico,  one  handkerchief,  one  carrot  of 
tobacco,  and  one  knife,  in  order  to  make  peace  among 
his  people.  He  promised  to  send  my  flag  by  land  to 
the  falls,  and  to  make  peace  with  Outard  Blanche." 
The  flag  was  returned  two  days  later  by  two  young 
Indians,  who  had  brought  it  overland. 

It  was  now  October,  and  clear  weather,  the  thermom- 
eter falling  sometimes  to  zero.  Hitherto  the  principal 
food  killed  had  been  geese,  swans,  and  prairie  chickens; 
but  on  October  6  Pike  saw  his  first  elk — two  droves  of 
them.  As  they  kept  on  up  the  river,  geese,  ducks,  and 
grouse,  with  occasionally  a  deer,  continued  to  be  se- 
cured. Frequently  Pike  found  hanging  to  the  branches 
of  the  trees  sacrifices  left  there  by  the  Indians.  These 
were  sometimes  bits  of  cloth,  or  articles  of  clothing,  or 
painted  skins.  As  the  weather  grew  colder,  and  ice 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  217 

was  often  met  with,  Pike  began  to  think  of  a  place 
where  he  should  winter.  The  boats  were  becoming  very 
leaky,  and  the  men,  terribly  overworked,  were  losing 
strength  and  becoming  inefficient.  He  therefore  de- 
termined to  make  a  permanent  camp,  afterward  called 
Pike's  Fort,  and  to  leave  a  part  of  his  men  there  in  block- 
houses while  he  proceeded  up  the  river;  but  before  the 
separation  took  place,  there  was  much  to  be  done. 
Happily,  the  country  abounded  in  game,  so  that  for 
those  who  were  to  be  left  behind  there  would  be  no 
danger  of  starvation.  Pike  went  out  one  morning  and 
killed  four  bears,  while  his  hunters  killed  three  deer. 

Log  houses  were  built,  and  several  small  canoes  were 
made  for  travel  on  the  river.  But  after  his  canoes  were 
launched  and  loaded,  one  of  them  sank  and  wet  his 
ammunition,  and  in  endeavoring  to  dry  the  powder  in 
pots  he  blew  up  the  powder  and  the  tent  in  which 
he  was  working.  It  being  necessary  to  build  another 
canoe,  Pike  again  went  off  to  hunt  to  a  stream  where 
much  elk  and  buffalo  sign  had  been  seen.  The  day 
following  was  spent  in  hunting,  but  with  very  little 
result;  and  the  account  which  Pike  gives  of  it  shows 
how  little  the  explorer  and  his  party  knew  about  the 
game  that  they  were  pursuing,  or  the  proper  methods 
of  securing  it.  He  says:  "I  was  determined,  if  we 
came  on  a  trail  of  elk,  to  follow  them  a  day  or  two  in 
order  to  kill  one.  This,  to  a  person  acquainted  with 
the  nature  of  those  animals  and  the  extent  of  the  prairie 
in  this  country,  would  appear — what  it  really  was — 
a  very  foolish  resolution.  We  soon  struck  where  a 


218  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

herd  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  had  passed;  pursued, 
and  came  in  sight  about  eight  o'clock,  when  they  ap- 
peared, at  a  distance,  like  an  army  of  Indians  moving 
along  in  single  file;  a  large  buck,  of  at  least  four  feet 
between  the  horns,  leading  the  van,  and  one  of  equal 
magnitude,  bringing  up  the  rear.  We  followed  until 
near  night  without  once  being  able  to  get  within  point 
blank  shot.  I  once  made  Miller  fire  at  them  with  his 
musket  at  about  four  hundred  yards'  distance;  it  had 
no  other  effect  than  to  make  them  leave  us  about  five 
miles  behind  on  the  prairie.  Passed  several  deer  in 
the  course  of  the  day,  which  I  think  we  could  have 
killed,  but  did  not  fire  for  fear  of  alarming  the  elk. 
Finding  that  it  was  no  easy  matter  to  kill  one,  I  shot 
a  doe  through  the  body,  as  I  perceived  by  her  blood 
where  she  lay  down  in  the  snow;  yet,  not  knowing  how 
to  track,  we  lost  her.  Shortly  after  saw  three  elk  by 
themselves,  near  a  copse  of  woods.  Approached  near 
them  and  broke  the  shoulder  of  one,  but  he  ran  off 
with  the  other  two  just  as  I  was  about  to  follow.  Saw 
a  buck  deer  lying  on  the  grass;  shot  him  between  the 
eyes,  when  he  fell  over.  I  walked  up  to  him,  put  my 
foot  on  his  horns,  and  examined  the  shot;  immediately 
after  which  he  snorted,  bounced  up,  and  fell  five  steps 
from  me.  This  I  considered  his  last  effort;  but  soon 
after,  to  our  utter  astonishment,  he  jumped  up  and  ran 
off.  He  stopped  frequently;  we  pursued  him,  expect- 
ing him  to  fall  every  minute;  by  which  we  were  led  from 
the  pursuit  of  the  wounded  elk.  After  being  wearied 
out  in  this  unsuccessful  chase,  we  returned  in  pursuit 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  219 

of  the  wounded  elk,  and  when  we  came  up  to  the  party, 
found  him  missing  from  the  flock.  Shot  another  in  the 
body,  but  my  ball  being  small,  he  likewise  escaped. 
Wounded  another  deer;  when,  hungry,  cold,  and  fa- 
tigued, after  having  wounded  three  deer  and  two  elk, 
we  were  obliged  to  encamp  in  a  point  of  hemlock  woods 
on  the  head  of  Clear  River.  The  large  herd  of  elk  lay 
about  one  mile  from  us  in  the  prairie.  Our  want  of 
success  I  ascribe  to  the  smallness  of  our  balls,  and  to 
our  inexperience  in  following  the  track  after  wounding 
the  game,  for  it  is  very  seldom  a  deer  drops  on  the  spot 
you  shoot  it. 

"Sunday,  November  3. — Rose  pretty  early  and  went 
in  pursuit  of  the  elk.  Wounded  one  buck  deer  on  the 
way.  We  made  an  attempt  to  drive  them  into  the 
woods,  but  their  leader  broke  past  us,  and  it  appeared 
as  if  the  drove  would  have  followed  him,  though  they 
had  been  obliged  to  run  over  us.  We  fired  at  them 
passing,  but  without  effect.  Pursued  them  through  the 
swamp  until  about  ten  o'clock,  when  I  determined  to 
attempt  to  make  the  river,  and  for  that  purpose  took  a 
due  south  course.  Passed  many  droves  of  elk  and 
buffalo,  but  being  in  the  middle  of  an  immense  prairie, 
knew  it  was  folly  to  attempt  to  shoot  them.  Wounded 
several  deer  but  got  none.  In  fact,  I  knew  I  could 
shoot  as  many  deer  as  anybody,  but  neither  myself  nor 
company  could  find  one  in  ten,  whereas  one  experienced 
hunter  would  get  all.  Near  night  struck  a  lake  about 
five  miles  long  and  two  miles  wide.  Saw  immense 
droves  of  elk  on  both  banks.  About  sundown  saw  a 


22O  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

herd  crossing  the  prairie  toward  us.  We  sat  down. 
Two  bucks,  more  curious  than  the  others,  came  pretty 
close.  I  struck  one  behind  the  fore  shoulder;  he  did 
not  go  more  than  twenty  yards  before  he  fell  and  died. 
This  was  the  cause  of  much  exultation,  because  it  ful- 
filled my  determination;  and,  as  we  had  been  two  days 
and  nights  without  victuals,  it  was  very  acceptable. 
Found  some  scrub  oak.  In  about  one  mile  made  a 
fire,  and  with  much  labor  and  pains  got  our  meat  to 
it,  the  wolves  feasting  on  one  half  while  we  were  carry- 
ing away  the  other.  We  were  now  provisioned,  but 
were  still  in  want  of  water,  the  snow  being  all  melted. 
Finding  my  drought  very  excessive  in  the  night,  I  went 
in  search  of  water,  and  was  much  surprised,  after 
having  gone  about  a  mile,  to  strike  the  Mississippi. 
Filled  my  hat  and  returned  to  my  companions. 

"November  4. — Repaired  my  moccasins,  using  a 
piece  of  elk's  bone  as  an  awl.  We  both  went  to  the 
Mississippi  and  found  we  were  a  great  distance  from 
the  camp.  I  left  Miller  to  guard  the  meat,  and  marched 
for  camp.  Having  strained  my  ankles  in  the  swamps, 
they  were  extremely  sore,  and  the  strings  of  my  mocca- 
sins cut  them  and  made  them  swell  considerably.  Be- 
fore I  had  gone  far  I  discovered  a  herd  of  ten  elk;  ap- 
proached within  fifty  yards  and  shot  one  through  the 
body.  He  fell  on  the  spot,  but  rose  again  and  ran  off. 
I  pursued  him  at  least  five  miles,  expecting  every  minute 
to  see  him  drop.  I  then  gave  him  up.  When  I  arrived 
at  Clear  River,  a  deer  was  standing  on  the  other  bank. 
I  killed  him  on  the  spot,  and  while  I  was  taking  out  the 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  221 

entrails  another  came  up.  I  shot  him  also.  This  was 
my  last  ball,  and  then  only  could  I  kill!  Left  part  of 
my  clothes  at  this  place  to  scare  the  wolves.  Arrived  at 
my  camp  at  dusk,  to  the  great  joy  of  our  men,  who  had 
been  to  our  little  garrison  to  inquire  for  me,  and  receiv- 
ing no  intelligence,  had  concluded  we  were  killed  by 
the  Indians,  having  heard  them  fire  on  the  opposite 
bank.  The  same  night  we  saw  fires  on  the  opposite 
shore  in  the  prairie;  this  was  likewise  seen  in  the  fort, 
when  all  the  men  moved  into  the  works." 

It  was  now  the  middle  of  November,  and  the  river 
was  closing  up.  Pike  was  obliged  to  hunt  practically 
all  the  time,  and  was  impatient  of  the  slavish  life  led 
by  the  hunter,  and  the  necessity  of  working  all  the  time 
to  support  his  party.  Under  such  conditions  the  pur- 
suit of  game  becomes  work,  and  not  play. 

After  the  winter  had  finally  set  in,  Indians  began  to  be 
seen;  some  of  them  Sioux — Yanktons,  and  Sissetons — 
and  some  Menominees. 

A  considerable  part  of  the  month  of  December  was 
spent  at  various  camps  along  the  Mississippi  River,  be- 
low the  mouth  of  the  Crow  Wing  River,  and  the  time 
was  devoted  to  killing  game  and  making  preparations 
for  the  northward  journey.  About  the  middle  of  the 
month  Pike  started  with  sleds,  sometimes  hauled  by 
men  across  the  prairies,  and  sometimes  along  the  ice  on 
the  river,  wherever  it  was  heavy  enough  to  bear  the  load. 
The  way  was  hard,  and  sometimes  only  short  trips  could 
be  made  with  the  sleds.  As  there  was  little  or  no  snow, 
the  men  were  obliged  to  double  up,  hauling  a  sled  for  a 


muuf 


222  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

short  distance,  and  then  leaving  it  to  go  back  and  haul 
the  next  one  along.  One  of  the  sleds  broke  through  the 
ice,  and  everything  it  contained  was  wetted,  including 
a  considerable  portion  of  the  powder.  Pike  found  his 
various  duties  Laborious,  for  he  was  at  once  "hunter, 
spy,  guide,  commanding  officer,  etc." 

In  January  he  met  a  Mr.  Grant,  an  English  trader, 
by  whom  he  was  hospitably  received  and  well  treated. 
About  the  middle  of  the  month,  finding  that  his  sleds 
were  too  heavy  to  be  hauled  through  the  snow,  he 
manufactured  toboggans,  which  would  be  more  easily 
hauled,  even  though  they  carried  smaller  loads. 

On  the  first  of  February  he  reached  Lake  La  Sang 
Sue,  now  known  as  Leech  Lake.  This  Pike  believed 
to  be  the  main  source  of  the  Mississippi.  The  lake 
crossed,  he  stopped  at  a  trading-post  of  the  Northwest 
Fur  Company,  where  his  men  arrived  five  days  later. 
Here  he  hoisted  the  American  flag  in  place  of  the  Eng- 
lish flag  which  he  had  found  still  flying;  and  after  a  few 
days  went  north  to  Upper  Red  Cedar  Lake,  which  we 
now  know  as  Cass  Lake,  Minnesota.  This  was  a 
country  passed  over  in  1798  by  David  Thompson,  a 
great  explorer,  whose  journeyings,  together  with  those 
of  Alexander  Henry,  the  younger,  were  edited  by  Dr. 
Elliott  Coues. 

Pike  was  now  in  the  country  of  the  Chippewas, 
whom  he  knew  by  their  other  name,  Sauteurs,  and  on 
"Jerf?  1 6  held  a  council  with  them,  notifying  them  that 
the  country  was  no  longer  in  the  possession  of  the  Brit- 
ish, advising  them  to  make  peace  with  the  Sioux,  and 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  223 

asking  some  of  their  chiefs  to  go  with  him  to  St.  Louis, 
where  they  should  see  General  Wilkinson.  His  talk 
with  the  Indians  was  pleasantly  received,  and  they 
made  no  difficulty  about  giving  up  their  flags  and 
medals,  which  were  to  be  replaced  by  flags  and  medals 
of  the  Americans.  Two  well-known  young  men  of  the 
Sauteurs,  living  hereabout,  expressed  their  willingness 
to  accompany  the  explorer  to  St.  Louis,  and  a  day  or 
two  later  Pike  struck  out  in  a  southerly  and  south- 
easterly direction,  to  return  to  his  fort  on  the  Missis- 
sippi. He  reached  that  river  about  March  i,  and  found 
all  his  people  well. 

Pike  was  now  prepared  to  start  south  as  soon  as  the 
river  broke  up,  and  to  report  success  in  all  directions; 
a  success  due  entirely  to  his  own  astonishing  energy  and 
industry,  for  he  alone  had  made  the  expedition  what  it 
was.  Something  of  what  he  felt  he  expressed  when  he 
wrote : 

"Ascended  the  mountain  which  borders  the  prairie. 
On  the  point  of  it  I  found  a  stone  on  which  the  Indians 
had  sharpened  their  knives,  and  a  war-club  half  fin- 
ished. From  this  spot  you  may  extend  the  eye  over 
vast  prairies  with  scarcely  any  interruption  but  clumps 
of  trees,  which  at  a  distance  appear  like  mountains, 
from  two  or  three  of  which  the  smoke  rising  in  the  air 
denoted  the  habitation  of  the  wandering  savage,  and 
too  often  marked  them  out  as  victims  to  their  enemies, 
from  whose  cruelty  I  have  had  the  pleasure  in  the 
course  of  the  winter  and  through  a  wilderness  of  im- 
mense extent  to  relieve  them,  as  peace  has  reigned 


224  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

through  my  mediation  from  the  prairie  Des  Chiens  to 
the  lower  Red  River.  If  a  subaltern  with  but  twenty 
men  at  so  great  a  distance  from  the  seat  of  his  Govern- 
ment could  effect  so  important  a  change  in  the  minds 
of  these  savages,  what  might  not  a  great  and  inde- 
pendent power  effect,  if,  instead  of  blowing  up  the 
flames  of  discord,  they  exerted  their  influence  in  the 
sacred  cause  of  peace  ?" 

He  was  frequently  seeing  Indians,  and  he  was  treated 
with  great  respect  and  hospitality  by  all  of  them.  He 
was  especially  impressed  by  his  neighbors,  the  Menom- 
inees,  in  whom  he  recognized  many  good  qualities. 

On  the  morning  of  April  7,  1806,  the  party  started  on 
the  return  journey,  and  made  good  time  down  the  river, 
reaching  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  where  Minneapolis 
now  stands,  on  the  morning  of  April  10.  Below  here, 
on  the  following  day,  at  the  mouth  of  St.  Peter's  River, 
was  found  a  camp  of  Sioux,  including  several  bands, 
and  Pike  had  a  talk  with  them.  The  council-house  was 
capable  of  containing  300  men,  and  there  were  forty 
chiefs  present,  and  forty  pipes  set  against  the  poles. 
At  the  council  all  these  Sioux  smoked  the  Chippewa 
pipes,  excepting  three,  who  were  still  mourning  for  their 
relations  killed  during  the  winter.  Within  the  next 
two  or  three  days  he  met  important  Sioux  chiefs,  Little 
Crow  and  Red  Wing,  who  were  extremely  cordial,  and 
emphatic  in  expressing  their  wish  to  carry  out  the  in- 
structions which  Pike  had  given  them. 

From  here  down  the  river  the  journey  was  interrupted 
only  by  occasional  talks  with  Indians,  until  Prairie  Des 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  225 

Chiens  was  reached,  where  there  were  many  white  peo- 
ple, and  Pike  received  the  first  news  of  the  outside  world 
he  had  had  for  many  months.  He  saw  here  a  great 
game  of  lacrosse  on  the  prairie  between  Sioux  on  one 
side  and  Winnebagoes  and  Foxes  on  the  other.  Coun- 
cils were  held  here  with  various  bands  of  Sioux,  and 
with  the  Winnebagoes.  On  April  23  they  once  more 
started  down  the  river,  but  were  delayed  by  a  head 
wind.  Two  days  later  Captain  Many,  of  the  United 
States  Army,  was  met  on  his  way  up  the  river  in  search 
of  some  Osage  prisoners  among  the  Sacs  and  Foxes. 
At  some  of  the  Indian  camps  passed,  all  the  people  were 
drunk — sure  sign  of  the  proximity  of  the  white  men. 

This  practically  completes  Pike's  voyage,  for  he 
reached  St.  Louis  April  30,  after  an  absence  of  eight 
months  and  twenty- two  days. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

ZEBULON  M.  PIKE 

ii 

ON  his  return  to  St.  Louis,  after  nearly  nine 
months  of  the  hardest  possible  work  in  the 
North,  Pike  was  allowed  but  a  short  rest.  Two 
months  and  a  half  later  he  set  out  on  his  Western  jour- 
ney, which  was  to  last  a  year,  and  during  which  he  was 
to  meet  with  vicissitudes  which  no  one  could  have  fore- 
seen. It  is  not  strange  that  he  should  have  been 
chosen  for  the  work  of  exploration  in  the  South-west, 
which  had  for  its  object  the  investigation  of  the  heads 
of  the  rivers  flowing  through  the  newly  acquired  Louisi- 
ana, making  acquaintance  with  the  Indians  inhabiting 
the  region,  and  putting  an  end  to  the  constant  wars 
between  the  different  tribes.  The  good  results  achieved 
along  the  Mississippi  had  proved  his  especial  fitness  for 
similar  work  in  other  portions  of  the  new  domain  of  the 
United  States,  and  were  reason  enough  for  giving  Pike 
the  command  of  this  expedition.  But  it  is  altogether 
possible  that  General  Wilkinson,  then  the  commanding 
officer  stationed  at  St.  Louis,  in  charge  of  the  whole 
Western  country,  may  have  had  an  ulterior  object  in 
sending  Pike  to  investigate  the  Spanish  boundaries  of 

226 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  227 

the  South-west.  It  had  been  more  than  suspected  that 
in  some  way  Wilkinson  was  mixed  up  with  the  Aaron 
Burr  conspiracy.  Whether  he  was  so  or  not,  the  Span- 
ish authorities  of  Mexico  believed  that  he  was,  and  be- 
lieved that  the  expedition  led  by  Pike,  of  which  they 
were  informed  well  in  advance,  was  connected  with  this 
conspiracy,  and  had  for  its  object  the  acquiring  of  in- 
formation detrimental  to  Spanish  interests. 

At  all  events  the  Spaniards  had  made  every  prepara- 
tion to  meet  Pike  and  to  capture  his  party,  while  Pike 
himself  was  intent  only  on  carrying  out  his  instructions 
to  explore  the  heads  of  these  Western  rivers,  and  was 
ignorant  of  the  existence  of  Burr's  conspiracy. 

On  July  15,  1806,  Pike  sailed  from  St.  Louis  up  the 
Missouri  River.  With  him  were  a  lieutenant,  a  surgeon 
— Dr.  Robinson — one  sergeant,  two  corporals,  sixteen 
privates,  and  one  interpreter — twenty-one  soldiers  and 
two  civilians — or  twenty-three  in  all.  Several  of  the 
party  had  been  with  Pike  in  the  North.  There  were 
fifty-one  Indians  who  had  been  redeemed  from  captiv- 
ity among  the  Pottawatomies,  and  were  now  to  be  re- 
turned to  the  Osage  and  Pawnee  tribes,  to  which  they 
belonged.  Two  days  after  leaving  St.  Louis  the  party 
stopped  at  Mr.  Morrison's,  and  there  met  a  young  man 
named  George  Henry,  who  wanted  to  go  West,  and 
after  a  little  time  was  engaged  to  accompany  the 
party.  He  was  a  good  French  scholar  and  spoke  some 
Spanish. 

Progress  with  the  boats,  which  were  rowed  up  the 
stream,  was  of  course  slow,  and  Lieutenant  Wilkinson 


228  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

and  Dr.  Robinson,  with  the  Indians,  marched  across  the 
country,  while  the  boats  toilfully  pulled  up  the  river. 
They  killed  some  game,  chiefly  deer  and  turkeys.  The 
Indians  had  a  season  of  mourning  each  day  about  day- 
light, the  crying  continuing  for  about  an  hour.  The 
interpreter  told  Pike  that  this  was  the  custom,  not  only 
with  those  who  had  recently  lost  their  relatives,  but  also 
with  others  who  recalled  to  mind  the  loss  of  some  friend, 
dead  long  since,  and  joined  the  other  mourners  purely 
from  sympathy.  They  appeared  extremely  affected; 
tears  ran  down  their  cheeks,  and  they  sobbed  bitterly; 
but  in  a  moment  they  would  dry  their  cheeks  and  cease 
their  cries.  Their  songs  of  grief  ran:  "My  dear  father 
exists  no  longer;  have  pity  on  me,  O  Great  Spirit!  You 
see  I  cry  forever;  dry  my  tears  and  give  me  comfort." 
The  warriors'  songs  were:  "Our  enemies  have  slain  my 
father  [or  mother];  he  is  lost  to  me  and  his  family;  I 
pray  to  you,  O  Master  of  Life,  to  preserve  me  until  I 
avenge  his  death,  and  then  do  with  me  as  thou  wilt." 

On  the  28th  of  July  the  party  reached  the  mouth  of 
the  Osage  River,  and  on  the  next  day  turned  up  the 
stream,  heading  for  the  Osage  villages,  where  they  were 
to  leave  a  part  of  their  Indians,  and  were  to  impress 
on  the  Osages  the  power  and  importance  of  the  United 
States  Government.  Game  was  quite  abundant,  and 
deer  and  turkeys  were  killed  daily;  two,  three,  five,  and 
on  one  day  even  nine  deer  having  been  taken,  for  the 
large  body  of  men  required  considerable  food. 

There  was  trouble  with  the  Indians  from  time  to  time. 
Some  became  jealous  of  their  wives,  and  quarrelled  with 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  229 

other  men,  and  on  one  occasion  there  was  some  pilfer- 
ing. But,  on  the  whole,  Pike  managed  the  Indians  ex- 
tremely well.  On  the  I4th  of  August  a  canoe  was  met 
coming  down  the  river,  manned  by  engagees  of  Mr. 
Chouteau,  of  St.  Louis,  by  whom  Pike  sent  letters  to 
General  Wilkinson.  Relatives  of  the  returned  Osage 
prisoners  came  out  to  receive  them.  The  meeting  was 
very  tender  and  affectionate,  "wives  throwing  themj 
selves  into  the  arms  of  their  husbands,  parents  embrac- 
ing their  children,  and  children  their  parents;  brothers 
and  sisters  meeting,  one  from  captivity,  the  other  from 
the  towns;  they  at  the  same  time  returning  thanks  to  the 
good  God  for  having  brought  them  once  more  together; 
in  short,  the  tout  ensemble  was  such  as  to  make  polished 
society  blush  when  compared  with  those  savages,  in 
whom  the  passions  of  the  mind,  whether  joy,  grief,  fear, 
anger,  or  revenge,  have  their  full  scope." 

Sans  Oreille  (one  of  the  Osages)  made  them  a  speech: 
"Osage,  you  now  see  your  wives,  your  brothers,  your 
daughters,  your  sons,  redeemed  from  captivity.  Who 
did  this  ?  Was  it  the  Spaniards  ?  No.  The  French  ? 
No.  Had  either  of  those  people  been  governors  of  the 
country,  your  relatives  might  have  rotted  in  captivity, 
and  you  never  would  have  seen  them;  but  Americans 
stretched  forth  their  hands  and  they  are  returned  to  you) 
What  can  you  do  in  return  for  all  this  goodness  ?  Noth- 
ing; all  your  lives  would  not  suffice  to  repay  their  good- 
ness." This  man  had  children  in  captivity,  not  one 
of  whom  the  party  had  been  able  to  obtain  for  him. 

In  the  Osage  village  Pike  was  well  received,  but  a  few 


230  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

days  in  the  town  and  its  neighborhood  showed  him 
some  of  the  uncertainties  of  attempting  to  deal  with  a 
strange  people.  He  had  great  difficulty  in  purchasing 
horses  for  his  intended  trip  to  the  Pawnees,  and  where 
he  had  secured  horses,  some  of  them  were  stolen  from 
him.  However,  after  considerable  difficulty,  he  got 
started,  taking  with  him  a  number  of  Osages,  warriors 
and  chiefs,  whom  he  wished  to  have  make  peace  with 
the  Pawnees,  and  also  some  of  the  redeemed  Pawnee 
captives.  From  the  very  start,  however,  the  Osages 
were  a  trouble  to  him,  for  they  were  constantly  leaving 
him  to  return  to  their  village,  urged  to  do  so  by  dreams 
or  by  laziness,  or  perhaps  by  fear  of  what  their  reception 
might  be  among  the  Pawnees.  From  the  Osage  village 
Pike  travelled  nearly  south  along  the  Osage  River  for 
several  days;  and  then  turning  west,  crossed  Grand 
River,  a  tributary  of  the  Arkansas,  and  going  nearly 
due  west  to  the  head  of  this  stream,  crossed  over  the 
divide  to  the  Smoky  Hill  fork  of  the  Kansas  River. 
Along  Grand  River  game  was  very  abundant,  and  here 
we  have  a  glimpse  of  a  quality  in  Pike  which  we  must 
admire.  "On  the  march,"  he  tells  us,  "we  were  con- 
tinually passing  through  large  herds  of  buffalo,  elk,  and 
cabrie  [antelope],  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  one  hunter 
could  support  two  hundred  men.  I  prevented  the  men 
shooting  at  the  game,  not  merely  because  of  the  scarcity 
of  ammunition,  but,  as  I  conceived,  the  laws  of  morality 
forbid  it  also." 

On  September  22  they  began  to  meet  Pawnees;  and 
two  days  later  others  joined  them,  who  possessed  mules, 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  231 

horses,  bridles,  and  blankets,  which  they  had  obtained 
of  the  Spaniards.  Only  a  few  of  these  Pawnees  wore 
breech  cloths,  most  of  them  being  clad  only  in  buffalo 
robes.  On  September  25  Pike  had  come  close  to  the 
Pawnee  village,  which  was  situated  on  the  Republican 
fork  of  the  Kansas  River,  quite  a  long  way  above  the 
mouth  of  the  Solomon.  Preparations  to  receive  them, 
and  to  smoke  with  the  Osages,  were  made  by  the 
Pawnees.  The  visiting  Indians  sat  down  on  the 
prairie  and  the  whites  were  a  short  distance  in  ad- 
vance of  them.  The  Pawnees  came  out  from  their 
village,  halted  about  a  mile  from  the  strangers,  and 
then,  dividing  into  two  troops,  charged  down  upon 
them,  singing  their  war  song,  shouting  the  war  cry, 
rattling  their  lances  and  bows  against  their  shields,  and 
in  all  respects  simulating  the  character  of  genuine  war- 
fare. The  two  bodies  of  Pawnees  passed  around  the 
strangers  and  halted,  and  the  chief  of  the  Pawnees  ad- 
vanced to  the  centre  of  the  circle  and  shook  hands. 
One  of  the  Osages  offered  the  chief  a  pipe,  and  he 
smoked.  The  whole  party  then  advanced  to  the  village, 
and  when  near  to  it  again  halted.  Again  the  Osages 
sat  down  in  a  row,  facing  the  village,  and  now  some  of 
the  Pawnees  came  to  them  with  pipes  and  invited  one 
and  another  to  smoke;  the  Osages  did  so,  and  each 
received  from  the  man  whose  pipe  he  smoked  a  stick, 
which  represented  a  horse.  These  Pawnees  no  doubt 
belonged  to  the  Republican  Pawnees,  or  Kitkahahk 
tribe,  the  second  in  importance  of  the  four  Pawnee 
tribes. 


232  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

Four  days  later  a  council  was  held  at  which  not  less 
than  four  hundred  warriors  were  present.  Pike's  notes 
of  this  interesting  occasion  were  seized  by  the  Spanish 
authorities  later,  and  he  never  recovered  them.  He 
gives,  however,  this  interesting  flag  incident:  "The 
Spaniards  had  left  several  of  their  flags  in  this  village, 
one  of  which  was  unfurled  at  the  chief's  door  the 
day  of  the  grand  council;  and  among  various  demands 
and  charges  I  gave  them  was  that  the  said  flag  should 
be  delivered  to  me,  and  one  of  the  United  States'  flags 
received  and  hoisted  in  its  place.  This,  probably,  was 
carrying  the  pride  of  nations  a  little  too  far,  as  there 
had  so  lately  been  a  large  force  of  Spanish  cavalry  at 
the  village,  which  had  made  a  great  impression  on 
the  minds  of  the  young  men,  as  to  their  power,  con- 
sequence, etc.,  which  my  appearance  with  twenty  in- 
fantry was  by  no  means  calculated  to  remove. 

"After  the  chiefs  had  replied  to  various  parts  of  my 
discourse,  but  were  silent  as  to  the  flag,  I  again  reiter- 
ated the  demand  for  the  flag,  adding  'that  it  was  impos- 
sible for  the  nation  to  have  two  fathers;  that  they  must 
either  be  the  children  of  the  Spaniards  or  acknowledge 
their  American  father/  After  a  silence  of  some  time  an 
old  man  rose,  went  to  the  door,  took  down  the  Spanish 
flag,  brought  it  and  laid  it  at  my  feet;  he  then  received 
the  American  flag,  and  elevated  it  on  the  staff  which  had 
lately  borne  the  standard  of  his  Catholic  Majesty.  This 
gave  great  satisfaction  to  the  Osage  and  Kans,  both  of 
whom  decidedly  avow  themselves  to  be  under  American 
protection.  Perceiving  that  every  face  in  the  council 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  233 

was  clouded  with  sorrow,  as  if  some  great  national 
calamity  were  about  to  befall  them,  I  took  up  the  con- 
tested colors,  and  told  them  'that  as  they  had  shown 
themselves  dutiful  children  in  acknowledging  their  great 
American  father,  I  did  not  wish  to  embarrass  them  with 
the  Spaniards,  for  it  was  the  wish  of  the  Americans  that 
their  red  brethren  should  remain  peaceably  around  their 
own  fires,  and  not  embroil  themselves  in  any  disputes 
between  the  white  people;  and  that  for  fear  the  Span- 
iards might  return  there  in  force  again,  I  returned  them 
their  flag,  but  with  an  injunction  that  it  should  never 
be  hoisted  again  during  our  stay/  At  this  there  was 
a  general  shout  of  applause,  and  the  charge  was  par- 
ticularly attended  to." 

The  raising  of  the  American  flag  by  Pike  in  the  village 
of  the  Pawnee  Republicans  on  September  29,  1806, 
marks  perhaps  the  first  formal  display  of  that  flag  by 
a  soldier  in  the  territory  west  of  the  immediate  banks 
of  the  Mississippi  River.  This  has  properly  been  re- 
garded as  an  occasion  of  very  great  importance  and  one 
well  worthy  of  commemoration.  The  Historical  Society 
of  Kansas,  on  September  30,  1901,  unveiled  with  appro- 
priate ceremonies  a  monument  to  Pike  at  Cortland, 
Kansas,  a  point  which  has  been  identified  as  the  site 
of  the  ancient  Kitkahahk  village  at  which  he  stopped, 
when  he  held  his  council  with  the  Indians,  and  took 
down  the  Spanish  flag  and  raised  that  of  his  own  country. 

For  some  days  Pike  remained  with  the  Pawnees,  and 
these  must  have  been  days  of  more  or  less  anxiety.  The 
Indians  had  no  sentiments  of  attachment  for  either 


234  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

Americans  or  Spaniards,  but  they  had  undoubtedly  been 
much  impressed  by  the  greater  power  of  the  Spaniards, 
as  evidenced  by  the  expedition  which  had  but  just  left 
them,  and  they  were  not  without  fear  that  wars  might 
occur  between  the  representatives  of  the  different  na- 
tions, from  which  wars  they  would  gain  nothing  and 
might  lose  much.  The  Pawnee  chief  endeavored  to 
turn  Pike  back,  saying  that  he  had  persuaded  the  Span- 
iards to  forego  their  intention  of  proceeding  farther  to 
the  east,  and  that  he  had  promised  the  ^Spaniards  that 
he  would  turn  back  the  Americans.  He  told  Pike  that 
he  must  give  up  his  expedition  and  return,  and  that  if 
he  were  unwilling  to  do  this  the  Pawnees  would  oppose 
him  by  force  of  arms.  Pike,  of  course,  declined  to  turn 
back,  and  intimated  that  an  effort  to  stop  him  would 
be  resisted. 

For  some  days  now  he  was  trading  with  the  Indians 
for  horses,  but  they  were  unwilling  to  sell  them,  and 
some  of  those  newly  purchased  disappeared.  However, 
on  the  yth  of  October  he  marched  from  the  village,  mov- 
ing a  little  west  of  south.  The  lost  horses  had  by  this 
time  been  returned.  On  the  second  day  out  he  was 
overtaken  by  about  one-third  of  the  Pawnees,  who  re- 
mained with  them  only  a  short  time.  A  little  later 
Pike's  party  discovered  some  elk,  which  they  pursued, 
and  these  running  back  in  sight  of  the  Pawnees  were 
chased  by  them.  "Then,  for  the  first  time  in  my  life," 
said  Pike,  "I  saw  animals  slaughtered  by  the  true 
savages  with  their  original  weapons,  bows  and  arrows; 
they  buried  the  arrow  up  to  the  plume  in  the  animal." 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  235 

They  met  Pawnees  from  time  to  time  for  a  few  days, 
and  on  the  I5th  Pike  and  Dr.  Robinson  left  the  party, 
and  lost  them,  not  finding  them  until  the  i8th.  Their 
camp  was  on  the  Arkansas  River,  where  Pike  built 
boats,  to  send  Lieutenant  Wilkinson  and  some  men 
down  the  river,  and  so  back  to  the  settlements.  On 
the  28th  Lieutenant  Wilkinson,  in  a  skin  canoe,  made 
of  four  buffalo  and  two  elk  hides,  and  one  wooden 
canoe,  proceeded  down  the  river.  The  party  con- 
sisted of  Lieutenant  Wilkinson,  five  white  men,  and 
two  Osage  Indians. 

From  here  for  a  long  distance  Pike's  route  lay  up 
the  Arkansas  River.  Soon  they  came  into  a  country 
abounding  in  buffalo,  antelope,  and  wild  horses.  The 
antelope  were  so  curious  that  they  came  up  among  the 
horses  to  satisfy  their  curiosity,  and  the  men  could  not 
resist  the  temptation  of  killing  two,  although  they  had 
plenty  of  meat.  At  the  report  of  the  gun  the  game 
"appeared  astonished,  and  stood  still  until  we  hallowed 
at  them,  to  drive  them  away."  Herds  of  horses  were 
seen,  which  came  up  very  close  to  the  command.  An 
effort  was  made  to  rope  some  of  the  wild  horses,  but  as 
the  animals  ridden  by  the  men  were  slow,  and  the 
ropers  were  without  experience,  the  attempt  was  un- 
successful; and  of  this  Pike  says:  "I  have  since  laughed 
at  our  folly,  for  taking  wild  horses  in  that  manner  is 
scarcely  ever  attempted,  even  with  the  fleetest  horses 
and  most  expert  ropers."  The  method  pursued  by  the 
Spanish  in  Texas  to  capture  wild  horses  was  not  un- 
like the  old  Indian  fashion  of  taking  buffalo.  "They 


236  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

take  a  few  fleet  horses  and  proceed  into  the  country 
where  the  wild  horses  are  numerous.  They  then  build 
a  large  strong  inclosure,  with  a  door  which  enters  a 
smaller  inclosure;  from  the  entrance  of  the  large  pen 
they  project  wings  out  into  the  prairie  a  great  distance, 
and  then  set  up  bushes,  to  induce  the  horses,  when  pur- 
sued, to  enter  into  these  wings.  After  these  prepara- 
tions are  made  they  keep  a  lookout  for  a  small  drove, 
for,  if  they  unfortunately  should  start  too  large  a  one, 
they  either  burst  open  the  pen  or  fill  it  up  with  dead 
bodies,  and  the  others  run  over  them  and  escape;  in 
which  case  the  party  are  obliged  to  leave  the  place,  as 
the  stench  arising  from  the  putrid  carcasses  would  be 
insupportable;  and,  in  addition  to  this,  the  pen  would 
not  receive  others.  Should  they,  however,  succeed  in 
driving  in  a  few,  say  two  or  three  hundred,  they  select 
the  handsomest  and  youngest,  noose  them,  take  them 
into  the  small  inclosures,  and  then  turn  out  the  re- 
mainder; after  which,  by  starving,  preventing  them  tak- 
ing any  repose,  and  continually  keeping  them  in  motion, 
they  make  them  gentle  by  degrees,  and  finally  break 
them  to  submit  to  the  saddle  and  bridle.  For  this  busi- 
ness I  presume  there  is  no  nation  in  the  world  superior 
to  the  Spaniards  of  Texas." 

As  they  proceeded  westward  they  found  the  prairie 
covered  with  buffalo,  most  of  them  cows  and  calves. 
Pike  dilates  on  their  numbers,  and  speaks  of  the  ex- 
cellence of  the  flesh  of  the  buffalo,  which  he  says  was 
"equal  to  any  meat  I  ever  saw,  and  we  feasted  sumptu- 
ously on  the  choice  morsels."  From  time  to  time  they 


•"§ 

it 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  237 

came  upon  the  trail  of  the  Spaniards,  returning  to  their 
mountain  homes,  and  counted  the  fires  about  which 
these  people  had  encamped.  Now  their  horses  were 
beginning  to  grow  poor  and  weak,  owing  to  the  scanty 
pasturage;  and  now,  too,  November  12,  Pike  passed 
beyond  the  borders  of  the  present  Kansas  and  into 
what  is  now  the  State  of  Colorado. 

On  November  15,  "at  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  I 
thought  I  could  distinguish  a  mountain  to  our  right, 
which  appeared  like  a  small  blue  cloud;  viewed  it  with 
the  spy-glass,  and  was  still  more  confirmed  in  my  con- 
jecture, yet  only  communicated  it  to  Dr.  Robinson, 
who  was  in  front  with  me;  but  in  half  an  hour  they  ap- 
peared in  full  view  before  us.  When  our  small  party 
arrived  on  the  hill  they  with  one  accord  gave  three 
cheers  to  the  Mexican  mountains.  Their  appearance 
can  easily  be  imagined  by  those  who  have  crossed  the 
Alleghanies;  but  their  sides  were  whiter,  as  if  covered 
with  snow,  or  a  white  stone.  Those  were  a  spur  of 
the  grand  western  chain  of  mountains  which  divide  the 
waters  of  the  Pacific  from  those  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean; 
and  the  spur  divides  the  waters  which  empty  into  the 
Bay  of  the  Holy  Spirit  from  those  of  the  Mississippi, 
as  the  Alleghanies  do  those  which  discharge  themselves 
into  the  latter  river  and  the  Atlantic.  They  appear  to 
present  a  natural  boundary  between  the  province  of 
Louisiana  and  New  Mexico,  and  would  be  a  defined 
and  natural  boundary."  On  the  same  day  they  came 
to  the  Purgatory  River,  or  River  of  Souls.  Here  the 
Arkansas  appeared  to  carry  much  more  water  than 
below,  and  was  apparently  navigable. 


CHAPTER  XV 

ZEBULON  M.  PIKE 
m 

ON  November  22,  as  Pike  and  Dr.  Robinson, 
and  Vasquez,  the  interpreter,  were  riding 
ahead  of  the  command,  they  met  a  party  of 
sixty  Pawnees  returning  from  an  unsuccessful  war 
party.  Half  of  them  were  armed  with  guns,  and  about 
half  with  bows,  arrows  and  lances.  They  met  the  white 
men  in  a  very  friendly  manner,  but  crowded  about  them; 
and  at  the  same  time  treated  them  in  so  boisterous  and 
disrespectful,  and  yet  good-natured  a  way,  as  to  cause 
them  some  uneasiness.  Pike  prepared  to  smoke  with 
them,  and  offered  them  some  small  presents,  with  which 
they  were  quite  dissatisfied;  so  that  for  some  time  the 
pipes  "lay  unmoved,  as  if  they  were  undetermined 
whether  to  treat  us  as  friends  or  enemies;  but  after  some 
time  we  were  presented  with  a  kettle  of  water,  drank, 
smoked  and  ate  together."  The  Pawnees  treated  the 
presents  given  them  with  more  or  less  contempt,  and 
some  even  threw  them  away. 

"We  began  to  load  our  horses,  when  they  encircled 
us   and    commenced    stealing   everything   they   could. 

238 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  239 

Finding  it  was  difficult  to  preserve  my  pistols,  I  mounted 
my  horse,  when  I  found  myself  frequently  surrounded ; 
during  which  some  were  endeavoring  to  steal  the  pis- 
tols. The  doctor  was  equally  engaged  in  another 
quarter,  and  all  the  soldiers  in  their  positions,  in  taking 
things  from  them.  One  having  stolen  my  tomahawk, 
I  informed  the  chief;  but  he  paid  no  respect,  except  to 
reply  that  'they  were  pitiful/  Finding  this,  I  deter- 
mined to  protect  ourselves,  as  far  as  was  in  my  power, 
and  the  affair  began  to  take  a  serious  aspect.  I  ordered 
my  men  to  take  their  arms  and  separate  themselves 
from  the  savages;  at  the  same  time  declaring  to  them 
that  I  would  kill  the  first  man  who  touched  our  baggage. 
On  which  they  commenced  filing  off  immediately;  we 
marched  about  the  same  time,  and  found  they  had 
made  out  to  steal  one  sword,  tomahawk,  broad-ax,  five 
canteens,  and  sundry  other  small  articles.  After  leav- 
ing them,  when  I  reflected  on  the  subject,  I  felt  myself 
sincerely  mortified,  that  the  smallness  of  my  number 
obliged  me  thus  to  submit  to  the  insults  of  lawless  ban- 
ditti, it  being  the  first  time  a  savage  ever  took  anything 
from  me  with  the  least  appearance  of  force." 

It  was  near  the  end  of  November.  Provisions  were 
scarce;  but  on  the  26th,  Pike  killed  a  "new  species  of 
deer" — a  blacktail,  or  mule  deer.  The  real  troubles  of 
the  expedition  were  beginning,  for  the  weather  was 
growing  cold,  snow  fell,  and  the  water  was  freezing. 
The  men  who  had  started  from  St.  Louis  in  July,  pre- 
pared for  a  summer  excursion,  had  worn  out  their  shoes 
and  clothing,  and  were  half  naked,  in  winter,  among 


240  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

the  high  mountains  of  the  Rockies.  Some  of  them 
froze  their  feet.  They  made  such  foot  gear  as  they 
could  from  the  hide  of  the  buffalo,  but  many  had 
used  up  their  blankets,  by  cutting  them  to  pieces  for 
socks,  and  had  nothing  with  which  to  cover  themselves 
at  night,  no  matter  how  cold  the  weather,  or  how 
deep  the  snow.  Pike  worked  backward  and  forward 
among  the  canyons,  on  streams  at  the  head  of  the 
Arkansas,  and  passed  over  the  divide  between  that 
river  and  the  head  waters  of  the  South  Platte,  and  then 
back  on  to  the  Arkansas,  near  what  is  now  called  the 
Royal  Gorge.  Here  he  came  on  the  site  of  an  immense 
Indian  camp,  occupied  not  long  before,  which  had  a 
large  cross  in  the  middle;  and  which,  though  he  then 
did  not  know  it,  was  a  big  camp  of  Kiowas  and  Com- 
anches,  with  whom  had  been  a  white  man,  James  Purs- 
ley.  The  party  was  constantly  suffering  for  food,  and 
often  went  for  days  without  eating,  and  were  almost 
without  protection  from  the  weather.  Pike  never 
ceased  his  efforts  to  cross  the  mountains  to  the  supposed 
head  of  the  Red  River  (the  Canadian),  which  he  had 
been  ordered  to  find.  Deep  though  the  snow  might  be, 
and  bitter  the  cold,  with  his  men  and  himself  equally 
hungry  and  equally  frozen,  passing  through  a  country 
almost  impracticable  for  horses,  where  the  animals 
themselves  had  to  be  dragged  along,  and  often  unloaded 
and  hauled  up  steep  mountain  sides,  he  kept  on.  On 
some  occasions  the  little  party  of  sixteen  were  divided 
into  eight  different  expeditions,  struggling  not  along  the 
trail,  but  to  get  over  the  mountains,  on  the  one  hand, 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  241 

and  on  the  other,  to  kill  something  which  might  give 
food  to  the  party.  Their  guns  now  had  begun  to  fail 
them;  a  number  burst;  others  were  bent  and  broken  by 
the  rough  usage.  Even  Pike,  who  scarcely  ever  per- 
mits a  word  of  complaint  to  escape  him,  says,  on  Janu- 
ary 5,  after  breaking  his  gun:  "This  was  my  birthday, 
and  most  fervently  did  I  hope  never  to  pass  another  so 
miserably." 

Matters  had  reached  such  a  point  that  it  was  useless 
to  attempt  to  drag  the  horses  any  further.  Pike  de- 
termined to  build  a  small  block-house,  and  leave  there 
a  part  of  his  baggage,  the  horses,  and  two  men;  and 
then,  with  the  remainder  of  their  possessions  on  their 
backs,  to  cross  the  mountains  on  foot,  find  the  Red 
River,  and  send  back  a  party  to  bring  on  the  horses  and 
baggage  by  some  easy  route.  They  started  on  January 
14,  each  carrying  an  average  of  seventy  pounds,  and 
marched  nearly  south,  following  up  the  stream  now 
known  as  Grape  Creek.  They  had  not  gone  far  before 
the  men  began  to  freeze  their  feet,  and  were  unable  to 
travel.  They  had  little  or  no  food,  but,  at  last,  Dr. 
Robinson,  after  two  days'  hunting,  during  which  they 
met  with  constant  misfortunes,  managed  to  kill  a  buffalo, 
loads  of  which  were  brought  back  to  camp.  Leaving 
two  of  the  disabled  men  behind,  with  as  much  pro- 
vision as  possible,  promising  to  send  relief  to  them  as 
soon  as  they  could,  Pike  and  the  others  pushed  on,  mak- 
ing their  slow  way  through  the  deep  snow;  They  were 
soon  again  without  food;  and  again  the  doctor  and  Pike, 
who  appear  to  have  been  by  all  odds  the  men  of  the 


242  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

party,  succeeded  in  killing  a  buffalo,  and  satisfying  the 
hunger  of  the  company.  It  was  on  this  day,  January  24, 
that  Pike  heard  the  first  complaint.  One  of  his  men 
declared  "that  it  was  more  than  human  nature  could 
bear,  to  march  three  days  without  sustenance,  through 
snows  three  feet  deep,  and  carry  a  burden  only  fit  for 
horses."  This  was  very  bitter  to  the  leader,  and  he 
administered  a  rebuke,  which,  though  severe,  was  so 
eminently  just  and  sympathetic  as  to  increase  the  de- 
votion which  his  men  must  have  felt  for  such  a  leader. 

For  a  little  time  they  had  food,  and  the  weather 
became  more  mild.  Now  turning  to  the  right,  they 
crossed  through  the  mountains,  and  came  within  sight 
of  a  large  river,  flowing  nearly  north  and  south.  This, 
although  the  explorer  did  not  know  it,  was  the  Rio 
Grande  del  Norte.  Travelling  down  toward  this  stream, 
they  came  to  a  large  west  branch;  and  here  Pike  deter- 
mined to  build  a  fort,  for  a  protection  for  a  portion  of 
his  party,  while  the  remainder  should  be  sent  back  to 
bring  on  the  men  who  had  been  left  behind  at  different 
points.  Deer  were  plenty,  and  it  seemed  to  be  a  spot 
where  life  could  be  supported.  Pike  laid  out  a  plan 
for  his  block-house,  which  was  on  the  edge  of  the  river, 
and  was  surrounded  by  a  moat,  and  a  dirt  rampart. 

From  this  point  Dr.  Robinson  set  out  alone  for 
Santa  Fe.  The  purpose  of  his  trip  was  to  spy  out  the 
land,  and  to  learn  what  he  could  with  regard  to  the 
Spanish  government,  and  the  opportunities  for  trade 
there.  In  the  year  1804,  Mr.  Morrison,  a  merchant  of 
Kaskaskia,  had  sent  across  the  plains  a  Creole  of  the 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  243 

country,  one  Baptiste  La  Lande,  with  goods  which  he 
was  to  trade  at  Santa  Fe.  La  Lande  had  never  re- 
turned, and  it  was  believed  that  he  had  remained  in 
Santa  Fe,  and  had  appropriated  to  himself  the  property 
of  his  employer.  When  Pike  was  about  to  start  on  his 
westward  expedition,  Mr.  Morrison  made  over  to  him 
his  claim  on  La  Lande,  in  the  hope  that  some  of  his 
property  might  be  recovered,  and  this  claim  assigned  to 
Robinson  was  the  pretext  for  his  trip  to  Santa  Fe.  In 
other  words:  Robinson  was,  as  Dr.  Coues  remarked,  a 
spy.  It  is  true  that  Spain  and  the  United  States  were 
not  then  at  war,  but  there  was  a  more  or  less  hostile 
feeling  between  the  two  governments;  or,  if  not  between 
the  two  governments,  at  least  between  the  citizens  of 
the  two  powers  residing  on  the  borders  of  the  respec- 
tive territories.  More  than  that,  as  already  stated,  the 
Aaron  Burr  conspiracy — with  which  Pike  was  wholly 
unacquainted — was  known  to  the  Spaniards,  as  was 
also  Pike's  starting  for  the  west.  The  Spanish  author- 
ities unquestionably  connected  the  two  things,  and  were 
disposed  to  look  with  great  suspicion  on  any  Americans 
who  entered  their  territory. 

Dr.  Robinson  set  out  for  Santa  Fe  on  the  7th  of 
February;  and  until  the  i6th  Pike  was  occupied  in 
hunting,  building  his  block-house,  reading,  and  study- 
ing. On  the  1 6th,  while  hunting,  he  discovered  two 
horsemen  not  far  from  him.  These,  when  he  attempted 
to  retreat,  pursued  threateningly;  but  if  he  turned  about 
to  go  toward  them,  they  retired.  As  he  was  doubtful 
where  he  was,  and  uncertain  if  the  territory  was  Span- 


244  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

ish  or  American,  he  was  unwilling  to  act  on  the  aggres- 
sive; but  finally  he  lured  the  horsemen  so  close  to  him 
that  they  could  hardly  get  away,  and  after  a  little  they 
explained  their  presence.  It  seemed  that  four  days 
before  Robinson  had  reached  Santa  Fe,  and  that  the 
Governor  had  sent  out  these  scouts  to  learn  who  the 
strangers  were.  The  next  day  they  departed  for  Santa 
Fe,  which  they  said  they  would  reach  on  the  second  day. 

Within  the  next  two  or  three  days  all  the  men  he 
had  left  behind  save  two — Dougherty  and  Sparks — had 
come  in;  and  on  February  19  Sergeant  Meek,  with 
Miller,  was  ordered  to  go  back  to  the  point  where  they 
had  left  the  interpreter,  Vasquez,  with  one  man  and  the 
horses,  to  bring  them  on,  and  on  his  way  to  pick  up 
Dougherty  and  Sparks,  who,  on  account  of  their  frozen 
feet,  had  been  unable  to  walk.  Pike  pays  touching 
tribute  to  the  heroism  of  his  men,  saying:  "I  must  here 
remark  the  effect  of  habit,  discipline,  and  example,  in 
two  soldiers  soliciting  a  command  of  more  than  one 
hundred  and  eighty  miles,  over  two  great  ridges  of 
mountains  covered  with  snow,  inhabited  by  bands  of 
unknown  savages  in  the  interest  of  a  nation  with  which 
we  were  not  on  the  best  understanding.  To  perform 
this  journey,  each  had  about  ten  pounds  of  venison. 
Only  let  me  ask,  What  would  our  soldiers  generally 
think  on  being  ordered  on  such  a  tour  thus  equipped  ? 
Yet  these  men  volunteered  it  with  others,  and  were 
chosen,  for  which  they  thought  themselves  highly 
honored." 

On  February  26   a  detachment  of  Spaniards,  con- 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  245 

sisting  of  two  officers,  with  fifty  dragoons  and  fifty 
mounted  militia,  reached  the  post.  The  sentry  halted 
them  at  a  distance  of  fifty  yards,  and  Pike  made  prep- 
arations for  their  reception.  He  insisted  that  the 
Spanish  troops  should  be  left  at  some  little  distance 
from  the  fort,  while  he  would  meet  the  officers  on  the 
prairie.  This  was  done,  and  then  he  invited  the  offi- 
cers to  enter  the  fort,  where  he  offered  them  his  hos- 
pitality. It  was  then  for  the  first  time,  Pike  tells  us, 
that  he  knew  that  the  stream  on  which  he  was  camped 
was  not  the  Red  River,  meaning  the  Canadian,  but  was 
the  Rio  del  Norte,  which,  though  known  by  several 
other  names,  is  what  we  now  call  the  Rio  Grande,  and 
now  forms  the  boundary  line  between  Texas  and  Mex- 
ico. The  officer  in  command  stated  that  the  Gover- 
nor of  New  Mexico  had  ordered  him  to  offer  Pike  mules, 
horses,  money,  or  whatever  he  might  need  to  conduct 
him  to  the  head  of  the  Red  River,  and  requested  Pike  to 
visit  the  Governor  at  Santa  Fe.  Pike  at  first  declined 
to  go  without  his  whole  command,  but  after  a  time  was 
persuaded  to  go  to  Santa  Fe,  leaving  two  men  in  the  post 
to  meet  the  Sergeant  and  his  party,  and  to  convey  to 
them  his  orders  to  come  to  Santa  Fe. 

Naturally  Pike  did  not  wish  to  resist  this  invitation, 
or  to  be  put  in  the  position  of  committing  hostilities  on 
the  foreign  soil  which  he  had  invaded,  since  his  orders 
did  not  commit  him  to  any  such  course.  Having  made 
the  error  of  entering  the  territory  of  another  power,  he 
thought  it  better  to  explain  matters,  rather  than  to  com- 
mit an  act  which  might  involve  his  country  in  war.  His 


246  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

compliance  with  the  request  of  the  Spanish  officer 
seemed  to  be  received  by  them  with  great  satisfaction; 
but,  he  says,  "it  appeared  to  be  different  with  my  men, 
who  wished  to  have  'a  little  dust/  as  they  expressed 
themselves,  and  were  likewise  fearful  of  treachery." 
After  making  the  necessary  preparations,  and  leaving 
orders  for  Sergeant  Meek,  Pike  set  out  with  the  Span- 
iards to  their  camp  on  the  Rio  del  Norte,  and  thence  to 
Santa  Fe.  His  passage  through  the  country  was  an 
interesting  one,  and  everywhere  he  was  treated  with  the 
greatest  kindness  and  hospitality  by  the  people.  At 
the  pueblo  of  San  Juan  he  met  the  man  Baptiste  La 
Lande,  who  professed  to  be  an  American,  and  en- 
deavored to  learn  from  Pike  something  of  his  journey- 
ing and  his  purpose;  but  Pike,  suspecting  his  designs, 
and  after  a  little  talk  satisfying  himself  as  to  what  they 
were,  had  the  man  shut  in  a  room,  and  threatened  him 
with  death  if  he  did  not  confess  his  perfidy.  La  Lande 
was  greatly  frightened,  and  declared  that  he  had  been 
ordered  by  the  Government  to  find  out  everything  pos- 
sible about  Pike. 

Not  only  did  the  common  people  treat  Pike's  men 
with  great  kindness  and  hospitality,  but  the  priests  and 
those  of  the  better  class  were  courteous,  cordial,  and 
very  much  interested  in  the  explorer. 

Santa  Fe  was  reached  March  3.  It  then  had  a  sup- 
posed population  of  four  thousand  five  hundred  souls, 
most  of  whom,  we  may  imagine,  turned  out  to  see  the 
Americans.  Pike's  visit  with  the  Governor  was  brief. 
He  denied  that  Robinson  was  attached  to  his  party, 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  247 

excusing  himself  to  himself  on  the  ground  that  Robin- 
son was  a  volunteer,  and  could  not  properly  be  said  to 
be  one  of  his  command.  The  Governor's  reception 
was  haughty  and  unfriendly.  Pike  bore  himself  with 
great  dignity  and  wasted  no  words.  At  a  later  inter- 
view that  day  his  papers  were  examined  by  the 
Governor,  and  after  they  had  been  read  his  manner 
changed,  and  he  became  much  more  cordial.  Pike's 
trunk  was  locked  and  the  key  given  to  him,  the  trunk 
to  be  put  in  charge  of  an  officer,  who  was  instructed 
to  escort  him  to  Chihuahua,  where  he  was  to  appear 
before  the  Commandant-General.  That  night  he 
dined  with  the  Governor,  and  received  from  him 
money  for  the  expenses  of  himself  and  men  as  far  as 
Chihuahua. 

The  story  of  the  march  from  Santa  Fe  to  Chihuahua 
is  interesting.  Not  far  from  Albuquerque  they  met 
Dr.  Robinson.  He  was  hardly  recognized  by  Pike,  for 
he  was  fat,  sleek,  and  well  looking,  as  different  as  pos- 
sible from  that  Robinson  who  had  left  the  camp  on  the 
head  waters  of  the  Rio  del  Norte,  "pale,  emaciated, 
with  uncombed  locks  and  beard  of  eight  months' 
growth,  but  with  fire,  unsubdued  enterprise,  and 
fortitude." 

The  party  crossed  the  Rio  Grande  at  El  Paso  del 
Norte,  then  a  great  crossing-place  for  travellers  north 
and  south,  and  just  over  the  river  from  our  present 
Texas  town  of  El  Paso,  situated  on  one  of  the  great 
transcontinental  railroads. 

Chihuahua  was  reached  April  2,  and  Pike  immedi- 


Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 


ately  had  an  interview  with  the  Governor,  who  treated 
him  with  reasonable  consideration.  Almost  the  whole 
month  of  April  was  passed  here,  and  during  this  time 
Pike  was  entertained  by  the  people  of  the  town,  among 
whom,  we  may  infer,  he  was  regarded  partly  in  the  light 
of  a  hero,  and  partly  in  the  light  of  a  curiosity.  On  one 
occasion  he  was  warned  by  the  Governor  that  he  spoke 
too  freely  with  regard  to  religion,  government,  and 
other  matters,  to  which  he  made  a  very  free  response, 
justifying  himself  for  whatever  he  had  done.  Pike  left 
Chihuahua  April  28.  He  had  become  suspicious  that 
there  was  danger  that  his  private  notes  would  be  taken 
from  him,  so  he  took  his  small  note-books  and  concealed 
them  in  the  barrels  of  the  guns  of  his  men.  It  was  now 
May,  the  weather  growing  very  warm  and  dry;  and 
sometimes  as  they  marched  they  suffered  from  lack  of 
water.  Almost  everywhere  Pike  continued  to  be  re- 
ceived with  great  kindness  by  the  people,  both  in  the 
towns  and  by  the  rich  haciendados,  whose  ranches  were 
passed  in  the  country.  He  frequently  met  men  of  Eng- 
lish, Irish,  and  American  birth,  most  of  whom  were  kind 
to  him;  and,  on  one  occasion,  conversed  gladly  with  an 
American  whom  he  shortly  afterward  learned  to  be  a 
deserter  from  the  United  States  Army.  This  made  him 
very  indignant,  and  he  sent  word  to  the  proprietor  of 
the  house  where  they  were  stopping  that  if  this  deserter 
appeared  at  another  meal  all  the  Americans  would  de- 
cline to  eat.  His  firmness  brought  an  apology  from  the 
host,  who  took  steps  that  the  deserter  should  not  again 
appear.  *#X 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  249 

The  month  of  June  was  spent  in  journeying  through 
Texas,  eastward,  to  the  borders  of  Louisiana.  Pike 
speaks  in  the  warmest  terms  of  the  two  Governors, 
Cordero  and  Herrara,  whom  he  met  at  San  Antonio. 
They,  and  all  the  other  Spaniards  whom  he  met  in 
Texas,  were  kind  to  him.  On  the  first  of  July  the 
party  reached  Natchitoches  about  four  p.  M.  "Lan- 
guage cannot  express  the  gayety  of  my  heart  when  I 
once  more  beheld  the  standard  of  my  country  waved 
aloft.  'All  hail!'  cried  I,  'the  ever  sacred  name  of 
country,  in  which  is  embraced  that  of  kindred,  friends, 
and  every  other  tie  which  is  dear  to  the  soul  of  man!' 

It  was  in  August,  1806,  while  he  was  on  his  way  west- 
ward, on  this  second  expedition,  that  Pike  was  promoted 
to  be  a  captain,  and  his  promotion  to  a  majority  fol- 
lowed soon  after  his  return.  With  successive  promo- 
tions in  1809,  he  became  lieutenant-colonel,  and  with 
the  coming  of  the  war  of  1812,  Pike,  now  a  colonel,  was 
sent  to  guard  the  northern  frontier.  He  was  appointed 
to  be  brigadier  general  March  12,  1813.  There  was 
some  fighting,  but  not  much;  but  on  April  27,  1813, 
while  leading  an  attack  on  Fort  York — now  Toronto — 
he  was  killed  by  the  explosion  of  the  magazine,  which 
the  retreating  enemy  had  fired.  As  an  eye-witness 
said:  The  Governor's  house,  with  some  smaller  build- 
ings, formed  a  square  at  the  centre  battery,  and 
under  it  the  grand  magazine,  containing  a  large 
quantity  of  powder,  was  situated.  As  there  were  only 
two  or  three  guns  at  this  battery,  and  it  but  a  short 
distance  from  the  garrison,  the  troops  did  not  remain 


250  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

in  it,  but  retreated  to  the  latter.  When  the  Americans, 
commanded  by  one  of  their  best  generals,  Pike,  reached 
this  small  battery,  instead  of  pressing  forward,  they 
halted,  and  the  general  sat  down  on  one  of  the  guns; 
a  fatal  proceeding,  for,  in  a  few  minutes,  his  advance 
guard,  consisting  of  about  three  hundred  men  and 
himself,  were  blown  into  the  air  by  the  explosion  of 
the  grand  magazine. 

"...  I  heard  the  report,  and  felt  a  tremendous  mo- 
tion in  the  earth,  resembling  the  shock  of  an  earthquake; 
and,  looking  toward  the  spot,  I  saw  an  immense  cloud 
ascend  into  the  air.  I  was  not  aware  at  the  moment 
what  it  had  been  occasioned  by,  but  it  had  an  awfully 
grand  effect;  at  first  it  was  a  great  confused  mass  of 
smoke,  timber,  men,  earth,  etc.,  but  as  it  arose,  in  a  most 
majestic  manner,  it  assumed  the  shape  of  a  vast  balloon. 
When  the  whole  mass  had  ascended  to  a  considerable 
height,  and  the  force  by  which  the  timber,  etc.,  were 
impelled  upwards  became  spent,  the  latter  fell  from  the 
cloud  and  spread  over  the  surrounding  plain." 

Struck  by  a  fragment  of  rock,  Pike  was  mortally 
wounded.  As  he  was  being  taken  on  board  the  flag- 
ship "Madison,"  he  heard  the  cheering  on  the  shore. 
He  asked  what  it  meant,  and  was  told  that  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  were  being  hoisted  over  the  captured  fort. 
A  little  later  the  captured  British  flag  was  brought  to 
him;  he  motioned  to  have  it  put  under  his  head,  and 
soon  after  this  had  been  done  he  died. 

It  is  a  melancholy  commentary  on  the  shortness  of 
human  fame  that  to-day  the  number  of  Americans  who 


Zebulon  M.  Pike  251 

know  who  Pike  was  is  very  small.  Few  men  have 
done  more  than  he  for  their  country.  Few  men  in  their 
time  have  attracted  more  attention.  Pike's  name  has 
been  given  to  mountains,  counties,  cities,  villages,  and 
even  to  islands,  rivers,  and  bays;  and  while,  as  Dr. 
Coues  suggests,  it  may  well  enough  be  that  not  all  these 
are  named  after  Pike  the  explorer,  yet  we  may  be  sure 
that  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people  for  Pike  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  and  for  some  time  afterward,  led  to  the 
giving  his  name  to  many  natural  features  of  the  land, 
and  to  many  political  divisions  within  the  States.  After 
all,  Pike's  most  impressive  and  most  enduring  monu- 
ment must  always  remain  the  superb  mountain  which 
bears  his  name.  If  Pike  did  not  discover  this,  "the 
grim  sentinel  of  the  Rockies,"  which  towers  fourteen 
thousand  one  hundred  and  forty  seven  feet  above  the 
sea,  at  least  he  was  one  of  the  first  Americans  to  see  it. 
He  calls  it,  fitly,  the  Grand  Peak.  Nearly  fourteen 
years  later,  during  Major  Long's  expedition  to  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  it  was  named  James  Peak;  but  this 
name,  though  often  mentioned  in  books,  did  not  long 
endure,  and  the  name  Pike's  Peak,  first  used  some  time 
during  the  decade  between  1830  and  1840 — for  ex- 
ample in  Latrobe's  "Rambler  in  America": — is  now 
firmly  established,  and  will  ever  remain  the  mountain's 
designation. 

The  death  of  Pike  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-four,  so 
soon  after  he  had  attained  the  summit  of  his  ambition, 
the  rank  of  general  and  at  the  moment  when  the  force 
under  his  command  had  won  a  notable  vig|ory,  seems 


252  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

very  pathetic;  and  yet,  after  all,  may  not  this  have  been 
a  happy  fate  ?  For  we  cannot  tell  what  sorrows  and 
disappointments  a  longer  life  might  have  brought  to 
him.  It  seems  almost  as  though  he  may  have  had  a 
premonition  of  the  fate  in  store  for  him,  since,  in  his 
last  letter  to  his  father,  written  just  before  he  set  out 
on  his  expedition,  he  writes  as  follows: 

"  I  embark  to-morrow  in  the  fleet  at  Sackett's  Harbor, 
at  the  head  of  a  column  of  one  thousand  five  hundred 
choice  troops,  on  a  secret  expedition.  If  success  at- 
tends my  steps,  honor  and  glory  await  my  name;  if 
defeat,  still  shall  it  be  said  we  died  like  brave  men, 
and  conferred  honor,  even  in  death,  on  the  American 
name. 

"Should  I  be  the  happy  mortal  destined  to  turn  the 
scale  of  war,  will  you  not  rejoice,  O  my  father  ?  May 
heaven  be  propitious,  and  smile  on  the  cause  of  my 
country.  But  if  we  are  destined  to  fall,  may  my  fall  be 
like  Wolfe's — to  sleep  in  the  arms  of  victory." 

It  was  so  that  Pike  fell  asleep. 


CHAPTER  XVI 
ALEXANDER  HENRY  (THE  YOUNGER) 


AMONG  the  northmen  who  overran  the  country 
long  known  as  the  Hudson's  Bay  Territory,  Alex- 
ander Henry,  the  younger,  was  a  commanding 
figure.  He  was  a  nephew  of  that  other  Alexander 
Henry  whose  adventures  have  been  described  earlier 
in  this  book.  To  Alexander  Henry,  the  younger,  we 
owe  the  most  curious  and  complete  record  ever  printed 
of  the  daily  life  of  the  fur  trader  in  the  north. 

Alexander  Henry,  the  younger,  was  a  diarist;  he  kept 
a  journal  in  which  he  set  down,  in  the  most  matter-of- 
fact  way,  everything  that  happened  to  him,  and,  as  has 
been  said  by  Dr.  Coues,  "it  mirrors  life  in  a  way  Mr. 
Samuel  Pepys  might  envy  could  he  compare  his  in- 
imitable diary  with  this  curious  companion  piece  of 
causerie,  and  perceive  that  he  who  goes  over  the  sea 
may  change  his  sky,  but  not  his  mind." 

The  wonderful  journal  of  Henry's  slept  for  nearly  a 
century.  Where  the  original  may  be  we  do  not  know, 
but  a  copy  was  made  by  George  Coventry  about  the 
year  1824,  an^  this  C°P7  about  seventy  years  later  came 

253 


254  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

under  the  notice  of  Dr.  Elliott  Coues,  whose  studies 
of  the  old  West,  have  furnished  so  great  a  mass  of 
material  from  which  the  student  of  history  may  glean 
information. 

The  diary  covers  a  period  of  about  fifteen  years,  from 
1799  to  1814,  during  which  time  Henry  travelled  from 
Lake  Superior  to  the  Pacific.  He  lived  in  and  travelled 
through,  at  various  times,  the  Canadian  Provinces  of 
Ontario,  Manitoba,  Assiniboia,  Keewatin,  Saskatche- 
wan, Alberta,  and  British  Columbia;  while  in  the 
United  States  his  travels  were  through  Wisconsin,  Min- 
nesota, North  Dakota,  Idaho,  Oregon,  and  Washing- 
ton. In  these  long  journeys  he  met  many  different 
tribes  of  Indians,  and  saw  much  of  the  Chippewas,  the 
three  tribes  of  the  Blackfeet,  the  Crees,  Assiniboines, 
Sioux,  Sarcees,  and  other  northern  tribes,  while  in  his 
southern  journeyings  he  reached  the  Mandans,  the 
Minitari,  the  Rees,  and  even  the  Cheyennes,  south  of 
the  Missouri  River,  and  on  the  west  coast  saw  many 
tribes  of  the  Columbia. 

The  journal  begins  in  the  autumn  of  1799,  when  he 
was  camped  on  the  White  Earth  River,  near  the  foot 
of  what  is  now  known  as  Riding  Mountain,  in  Mani- 
toba, a  little  west  of  Portage  La  Prairie.  Here  he  had 
stopped  after  his  journey  from  Montreal,  to  trade  with 
the  Indians  the  liquor,  blankets,  strouding,  and  various 
trinkets  the  Indians  liked.  He  made  that  fall  a  clear 
profit  of  seven  hundred  pounds.  This  was  his  first 
trial  in  the  Northwest. 

In  the  summer  of  1800  Henry  was  on  his  way  west- 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)          255 

ward,  with  a  brigade  of  canoes,  each  of  which  carried 
twenty-eight  pieces  of  goods,  ten  of  which  were  kegs 
of  rum  of  nine  gallons  each;  loads  which  sunk  the 
canoes  to  the  gunwales.  He  was  proceeding  by  the 
Grande  Portage  to  Lake  Winnipeg,  over  the  road  which, 
even  then,  was  being  travelled  by  many  fur  traders. 
Wherever  he  found  Indians,  they  were  usually  drunk, 
and  when  drunk  always  troublesome.  They  crossed 
the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  and  ran  down  the  river  Winni- 
pic.  At  Portage  de  Lisle  one  of  the  canoes,  to  avoid 
the  trouble  of  making  this  portage,  passed  down  near 
the  north  shore  with  a  full  load.  "She  had  not  gone 
many  yards  when,  by  some  mismanagement  of  the  fore- 
man, the  current  bore  down  her  bow  full  upon  the  shore 
against  a  rock,  upon  which  the  fellow,  taking  advantage 
of  his  situation,  jumped,  while  the  current  whirled  the 
canoe  around.  The  steersman,  finding  himself  within 
reach  of  the  shore,  jumped  upon  the  rock,  with  one  of 
the  midmen;  the  other  midman,  not  being  sufficiently 
active,  remained  in  the  canoe,  which  was  instantly 
carried  out  and  lost  to  view  among  the  high  waves. 
At  length  she  appeared,  and  stood  perpendicularly  for 
a  moment,  when  she  sank  down  again,  and  I  then  per- 
ceived the  man  rising  upon  a  bale  of  drygoods  in  the 
midst  of  the  waves.  We  made  every  exertion  to  get 
near  him,  and  did  not  cease  calling  out  to  him  to  take 
courage,  and  not  let  go  his  hold;  but  alas!  he  sank 
under  a  heavy  swell,  and  when  the  bale  arose  the  man 
appeared  no  more.  At  this  time  we  were  only  a  few 
yards  from  him;  but  while  we  were  eagerly  looking  out 


256  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

for  him,  poor  fellow,  the  whirlpool  caught  my  canoe, 
and  before  we  could  get  away  she  was  half-full  of  water. 
We  then  made  all  haste  to  get  ashore,  and  go  in  search 
of  the  property.  The  canoe  we  found  flat  upon  the 
water,  broken  in  many  places.  However,  we  hauled 
her  ashore,  and  afterwards  collected  as  many  pieces 
as  we  could  find.  The  men  had  landed  a  few  packages 
above  the  rapid,  otherwise  our  loss  would  have  been 
still  greater." 

On  August  1 6  they  entered  Lake  Winnipeg,  and  were 
almost  wrecked  by  a  storm,  the  wind  blowing  violently 
over  a  shoal  flat,  and  raising  a  tumbling  sea.  Wild-fowl 
were  plenty;  so  were  also  Rocky  Mountain  locusts, 
which  Henry  said  were  thrown  up  on  the  beach  to  a 
depth  of  six  to  nine  inches.  He  shot  a  white  pelican, 
of  which  many  were  seen.  From  here  Henry  went  up 
the  Red  River  to  establish  a  trading-fort,  and  on  the  way 
up  he  divided  his  goods,  one-half  of  which  were  to  be 
sent  to  Portage  La  Prairie  on  the  Assiniboine  River. 
The  Indians  here  were  chiefly  canoe  and  foot  people, 
and  had  few  horses.  Pigeons  were  very  numerous,  as 
were  also  fish,  and  the  Indians  had  some  dried  buffalo 
meat,  which  was  purchased  from  them.  Fruit  was 
abundant  along  the  bank;  plums  of  three  different  sorts, 
pembinas,  and  grapes. 

A  number  of  Indians  had  joined  him,  all  of  whom 
wanted  liquor  and  supplies.  He  gave  them  more  or  less 
liquor,  with  the  result  that  most  of  them  were  drunk 
much  of  the  time,  and  showed  no  disposition  either  to 
hunt  or  to  trap.  As  they  proceeded  up  Red  River,  they 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)          257 

approached  the  country  ranged  over  by  the  Sioux,  be- 
tween whom  and  the  Ojibwas  there  was  everlasting  war. 
The  Indians  were  therefore  in  a  continual  state  of  alarm, 
and  every  time  a  shot  was  heard  they  thought  that  the 
enemy  were  about  to  attack  them.  They  were  now 
close  to  the  country  of  the  buffalo,  and  the  Indians 
were  bringing  in  fresh  meat.  Henry  speaks  of  the 
abundance  of  these  animals  at  his  camp  of  August  26, 
where,  he  says,  "The  ravages  of  the  buffaloes  at  this 
place  are  astonishing  to  a  person  unaccustomed  to  these 
meadows.  The  beach,  once  soft  black  mud,  into  which 
a  man  would  sink  knee-deep,  is  now  made  hard  as 
pavement  by  the  numerous  herds  coming  to  drink. 
The  willows  are  entirely  trampled  and  torn  to  pieces; 
even  the  bark  of  the  smaller  trees  is  rubbed  off  in  many 
places.  The  grass  on  the  first  bank  of  the  river  is  en- 
tirely worn  away.  Numerous  paths,  some  of  which  are 
a  foot  deep  in  the  hard  turf,  come  from  the  plains  to  the 
brink  of  the  river,  and  vast  quantities  of  dung  gives 
this  place  the  appearance  of  a  cattle  yard.  We  have 
reached  the  commencement  of  the  great  plains  of  Red 
River,  where  the  eye  is  lost  in  one  continuous  level 
westward.  Not  a  tree  or  a  rising  ground  interrupts  the 
view."  Here  he  had  his  first  experience  in  running  buf- 
falo, and  merely  for  the  amusement  of  it  killed  not  a  few. 
The  Indians  continued  drinking  and  fighting  among 
themselves.  No  one  as  yet  had  been  killed,  but  more 
than  one  had  been  severely  injured.  Now,  however, 
they  had  used  up  all  their  liquor,  and  Henry  refused  to 
give  them  any  more;  so  that  while  many  continued  to 


258  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

loaf  about  and  beg  for  drink,  some  went  hunting.  Keep- 
ing on  up  the  Red  River,  he  pushed  on  southward, 
being  anxious  to  reach  a  country  where  the  beaver 
seemed  to  be  plenty.  Game  was  very  abundant — 
buffalo,  elk  and  bears.  "Whilst  we  were  arranging 
camp  I  saw  a  bear  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  a  little 
above  us,  coming  down  to  drink.  I  crossed  over  and 
followed  him;  he  instantly  stopped  within  a  few  paces, 
and  ran  up  a  large  oak.  I  shot  him  between  the  shoul- 
ders, and  he  fell  to  the  ground  like  a  rock,  but  in  a 
moment  was  scampering  away  as  fast  as  he  could.  I 
traced  him  by  the  blood,  and  soon  found  him  sitting 
under  a  brush  heap,  grumbling  and  licking  his  wounds. 
A  second  shot  dispatched  him.  By  the  hideous  scream 
he  uttered  when  he  fell  from  the  tree,  I  imagined  he  was 
coming  at  me,  and  was  waiting  for  him  with  my  second 
barrel  cocked,  when  he  ran  off.  I  went  for  my  two 
men,  and  it  was  hard  work  for  us  three  to  drag  him  to 
the  canoe;  he  was  very  fat.  I  found  that  my  first  ball 
had  gone  through  his  heart.  I  was  surprised  that  he 
should  have  been  so  active  after  a  wound  of  that  kind." 
Early  in  September,  Henry,  having  passed  up  Red 
River  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  Park  River,  decided  to 
build  there,  and  began  the  work  of  cutting  Jiouse  logs 
and  erecting  his  stockades.  Game  was  astonishingly 
abundant,  bears  being  so  plenty  that  they  were  killed 
almost  daily.  Three  men  came  in  with  twelve  bears;  a 
hunter  returned  with  four  bears,  and  so  on.  Now  that 
they  were  settled,  Henry  began  to  give  out  to  the  Ind- 
ians their  debts;  by  which  is  meant  that  he  furnished 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)          259 

them  the  articles  that  they  needed  for  hunting  and  for 
their  life  during  the  winter,  charging  them  with  the 
articles,  which  were  to  be  paid  for  by  skins — that  is, 
the  value  of  a  beaver  skin.  He  prepared  a  seat  in 
a  tall  oak,  which  he  used  as  a  lookout  station,  and  from 
which  he  had  an  extensive  view.  Every  morning  he 
used  to  climb  to  the  top  of  this  oak  and  look  over  the 
country,  not  only  to  see  where  the  game  was,  but  also 
to  see  if  people  were  moving  about.  After  the  stockade 
had  been  finished,  the  houses  were  built,  and  then  came 
the  task  of  preparing  food  for  the  winter.  Meantime, 
the  Indians  had  persuaded  Henry  again  to  give  them 
liquor,  and  they  were  once  more  drunk  and  quarrelling. 
Happily,  when  fighting,  they  did  not  use  their  guns  or 
bows,  but  only  their  knives;  and  so,  although  men  and 
women  were  frequently  severely  stabbed  and  cut,  there 
were  no  immediate  fatalities. 

Henry  was  a  good  deal  of  a  hunter,  and  much  of  his 
journal  is  given  up  to  accounts  of  what  he  killed.  Ind- 
ian alarms  were  as  frequent  as  ever,  but  none  of  them 
amounted  to  anything,  being  causeless  panics.  In  Oc- 
tober Henry  made  a  journey  down  the  river,  to  look 
up  some  of  the  people  that  he  had  sent  off  to  establish 
small  trading-posts.  On  his  return,  about  the  middle 
of  October,  he  found  that  his  hunter  had  killed  a  large 
grizzly  bear,  about  a  mile  from  the  fort,  and  mentions 
that  these  bears  are  not  numerous  along  Red  River, 
but  are  more  abundant  in  the  Hair  Hills.  This  is 
one  of  the  most  eastern  records  for  the  grizzly  bear, 
although  Long — Voyages  and  Travels,  London,  1791 


260  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

— speaks  as  if  they  were  sometimes  found  a  little  further 
eastward,  even  east  of  the  west  end  of  Lake  Superior. 

A  little  later  Henry,  with  one  of  his  hunters  and  an- 
other man,  set  off  in  search  of  the  Red  Lake  Indians, 
whom  he  wished  to  inform  that  he  had  established  a 
trading-post  here.  The  journey  was  long,  and  much 
of  it  through  thick  woods  and  underbrush,  and  it  almost 
proved  fruitless.  However,  he  at  length  came  across 
a  young  Indian,  who  was  very  much  frightened  at  seeing 
them,  but  finally  realizing  that  they  were  friends,  talked 
freely  to  them.  The  Indian  reported  that  his  people 
were  at  Red  Lake  waiting  for  traders,  and  Henry  tried 
to  persuade  him  to  bring  them  into  his  fort.  Henry 
then  returned  to  his  post. 

Winter  was  now  approaching.  The  Indians  were 
making  the  mats  with  which  they  covered  their  huts 
in  winter,  while  many  of  the  men  were  preparing  to  go 
to  war.  An  interesting  note  on  wolves  appears  here, 
under  date  of  Sunday,  November  2:  "Last  night  the 
wolves  were  very  troublesome;  they  kept  up  a  terrible 
howling  about  the  fort,  and  even  attempted  to  enter 
Maymiutch's  hut.  A  large  white  one  came  boldly  into 
the  door,  and  was  advancing  toward  a  young  child, 
when  he  was  shot  dead.  Some  of  them  are  very  auda- 
cious. I  have  known  them  to  follow  people  for  several 
days,  attempt  to  seize  a  person  or  a  dog,  and  to  be 
kept  off  only  by  firearms.  It  does  not  appear  that 
hunger  makes  them  so  voracious,  as  they  have  been 
known  to  pass  carcasses  of  animals  which  they  might 
have  eaten  to  their  fill,  but  they  would  not  touch  flesh, 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)          261 

their  object  seeming  to  be  that  of  biting.  The  Canad- 
ians swear  that  these  are  mad  wolves,  and  are  much 
afraid  of  them." 

Another  note  of  interest  to  the  zoologist  is  this:  "We 
saw  a  great  herd  of  cows  going  at  full  speed  southward, 
but  on  coming  to  our  track,  which  goes  to  Salt  Lake, 
they  began  to  smell  the  ground,  and  as  suddenly  as  if 
they  had  been  fired  at,  turned  toward  the  mountain. 
It  is  surprising  how  sagacious  these  animals  are.  When 
in  the  least  alarmed,  they  will  smell  the  track  of  even  a 
single  person  in  the  grass,  and  run  away  in  the  contrary 
direction.  I  have  seen  large  herds  walking  very  slowly 
to  pasture,  and  feeding  as  they  went,  come  to  a  place 
where  some  persons  had  passed  on  foot,  when  they 
would  instantly  stop,  smell  the  ground,  draw  back  a 
few  paces,  bellow,  and  tear  up  the  earth  with  their 
horns.  Sometimes  the  whole  herd  would  range  along 
the  road,  keeping  up  a  terrible  noise,  until  one  of  them 
was  hardy  enough  to  jump  over,  when  they  would  all 
follow,  and  run  some  distance."  On  November  8, 
with  an  Indian,  Henry  started  in  search  of  Indians 
about  Grand  Forks.  Although  the  weather  had  been 
cold  and  snowy,  it  had  now  turned  warm  again,  and 
they  had  much  trouble  in  crossing  streams  and  sloughs. 
They  went  south,  to  what  Henry's  Indian  told  him 
was  the  border  of  the  Sioux  country,  and  old  camping- 
grounds  were  pointed  out,  which  the  Indian  said  were 
Sioux.  Beaver  appeared  to  be  very  numerous,  but 
they  killed  nothing,  making  no  fire,  and  firing  no  guns, 
and  keeping  their  horses  always  close  to  them. 


262  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

In  describing  the  country  passed  over,  Henry  speaks 
of  the  Schian  River,  a  tributary  of  the  Red  River,  which 
flows  into  it  about  ten  miles  north  of  Fargo.  This,  he 
says,  "takes  its  name  from  a  formerly  numerous  tribe 
of  Indians  who  inhabited  its  upper  part.  They  were  a 
neutral  tribe  between  the  Sioux  and  Saulteurs  for  many 
years,  but  the  latter,  who  are  of  a  jealous  disposition, 
suspected  that  they  favored  the  Sioux.  A  very  large 
party  having  once  been  unsuccessful  in  discovering 
their  enemies,  on  their  return  wreaked  their  vengeance 
on  those  people,  destroying  their  village,  and  murdering 
most  of  them.  This  happened  about  sixty  years  ago, 
when  the  Saulteurs  were  at  war  with  their  natural 
enemies,  the  Sioux,  of  the  plains,  who  are  the  only  in- 
habitants of  St.  Peter's  River.  The  Schians,  having 
been  nearly  exterminated,  abandoned  their  old  ter- 
ritory, and  fled  southward  across  the  Missouri,  where 
they  are  now  a  wandering  tribe." 

This  story  agrees  very  well  with  the  traditions  related 
by  the  Cheyennes  to-day,  except  that  the  modern  stories 
put  back  these  wars  with  the  Saulteurs  much  further 
than  1740.  On  November  13  Henry  reached  the  post 
again,  having  failed  to  find  any  of  the  people  that  he 
looked  for.  Moreover,  when  he  got  here  he  received  a 
messenger  from  Langlois,  one  of  his  clerks  at  a  trading- 
post  at  the  Panbian  (Pembina)  Mountains,  reporting 
that  a  number  of  more  or  less  turbulent  Crees  and 
Assiniboines  were  gathering  there,  and  that  Henry's 
presence  was  needed  to  quiet  them.  Two  days  later 
he  set  off,  stopping  at  Bois  Perce,  where  "I  remained 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)          263 

about  an  hour  with  the  worthless  vagabonds,  who  do 
nothing  but  play  at  the  game  of  platter.  Nothing  is 
heard  but  the  noise  of  the  dish,  and  children  bawling 
from  hunger;  their  scoundrelly  fathers  are  deaf  to  theil 
cries  until  necessity  obliges  them  to  kill  a  bull  for  their 
sustenance."  On  his  arrival  at  the  post,  he  found  all 
his  people  well,  and  the  trouble  apparently  over. 

The  weather  was  now  very  cold.  Swans  were  passing 
south  in  astonishing  numbers.  Now  the  men  took  no 
more  raccoons  with  their  traps,  for  these  animals  had 
begun  to  hibernate  in  the  hollow  trees,  where  they 
would  remain  like  the  bears  until  spring,  without  any 
sustenance. 

Some  time  before,  an  Indian  named  Crooked  Legs, 
while  drunk,  had  very  severely  stabbed  his  young  wife, 
who  now,  however,  had  perfectly  recovered.  At  a  drink- 
ing-match,  held  at  the  post,  just  after  Henry's  return,  this 
woman,  in  revenge,  gave  her  old  husband  a  cruel  beat- 
ing with  a  stick,  and  afterward  burned  him  shockingly 
with  a  brand  snatched  from  the  fire. 

Rum  was  constantly  desired  by  the  Indians,  and  was 
begged  for  on  every  pretext.  If  a  woman's  husband 
died,  or  a  man's  wife,  they  came  to  Henry  to  beg,  or 
buy,  rum  to  cheer  their  hearts  in  their  sorrow.  A 
curious  trapping  incident  is  reported  November  28. 
"  La  Rocque,  Sr.,  came  in  with  his  traps,  with  a  skunk, 
a  badger,  and  a  large  white  wolf,  all  three  caught  in 
the  same  trap  at  once,  as  he  said.  This  was  thought 
extraordinary — indeed  a  falsehood — until  he  explained 
the  affair.  His  trap  was  made  in  a  hollow  stump,  in 


264  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

the  center  of  which  there  was  a  deep  hole  in  the  ground. 
He  found  the  wolf,  just  caught,  and  still  alive.  He 
despatched  him,  and,  on  taking  him  out,  noticed  some- 
thing stirring  and  making  a  noise  in  the  hole  in  the 
ground.  Upon  looking  in  he  perceived  the  badger, 
which  he  killed  with  a  stick,  and  upon  pulling  him  out, 
smelt  the  horrid  stench  of  the  skunk,  which  was  in  one 
corner  of  the  hole.  He  soon  despatched  him  also. 
From  this  the  Indians  all  predicted  some  great  mis- 
fortune, either  to  the  person  to  whom  the  traps  be- 
longed, or  to  our  fort." 

Two  days  later  some  of  the  men  went  raccoon  hunt- 
ing, the  weather  being  warm.  "They  returned  in  the 
evening  with  seven,  which  they  had  found  in  one  hollow 
tree.  The  size  of  this  tree  was  enormous,  having  a 
hollow  six  feet  in  diameter,  the  rim  or  shell  being  two 
feet  thick,  including  the  bark.  Raccoon  hunting  is 
common  here  in  the  winter  season.  The  hunter  exam- 
ines every  hollow  tree  met  with,  and  when  he  sees  the 
fresh  marks  of  the  claws,  he  makes  a  hole  with  an  ax, 
and  then  opens  the  hollow  place,  in  which  he  lights  a 
fire,  to  find  out  if  there  be  any  raccoons  within,  as  they 
often  climb  trees  in  the  autumn,  and,  not  finding  them 
proper  for  the  purpose,  leave  them,  and  seek  others. 
But  if  they  be  within,  the  smoke  obliges  them  to  ascend 
and  put  their  heads  out  of  the  hole  they  enter.  On 
observing  this,  the  ax  is  applied  to  the  tree;  with  the 
assistance  of  the  fire  it  is  soon  down,  and  the  hunter 
stands  ready  to  despatch  the  animals  while  they 
are  stunned  by  the  fall.  But  sometimes  they  are  so 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)  265 

obstinate  as  to  remain  at  the  bottom  of  the  hole  until 
they  are  suffocated  or  roasted  to  death.  The  bears, 
both  grizzly  and  common  black,  which  reside  on  Red 
River,  take  to  hollow  trees  also,  and  are  hunted  by  the 
Indians  in  the  same  manner  as  raccoons.  But  the  bears 
in  the  Hair  Hills  and  other  places  never  take  to  the 
trees  for  their  winter  quarters;  they  reside  in  holes  in 
the  ground,  in  the  most  intricate  thicket  they  can  find, 
generally  under  the  roots  of  trees  that  have  been  torn  up 
by  the  wind,  or  have  otherwise  fallen.  These  are  more 
difficult  to  find,  requiring  good  dogs  that  are  naturally 
given  to  hunt  bears.  The  reason  why  the  bears  differ 
so  widely  in  the  choice  of  their  winter  habitations  is 
obvious.  The  low  lands  along  the  river,  where  the 
woods  principally  grow,  are  every  spring  subject  to 
overflow,  when  the  ice  breaks  up.  The  mud  carried 
down  with  the  current  and  left  on  the  banks,  makes 
their  dens  uncomfortable.  On  the  Hair  Hills  and  other 
high  lands,  where  the  ground  is  free  from  inundation, 
the  soft  and  sandy  soil  is  not  so  cold  as  the  stiff  black 
mud  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  which  appears  to  be 
made  ground.  Frequently,  on  digging  holes  in  winter, 
we  found  the  frost  had  penetrated  the  ground  nearly 
four  feet,  like  one  solid  body  of  ice,  while  in  high,  dry, 
sandy  soil  it  seldom  exceeds  one  foot  in  depth." 

Winter  had  now  set  in,  as  well  by  the  calendar  as  by 
temperature.  It  was  ushered  in  by  a  great  prairie  fire, 
which  seemed  likely  to  burn  over  the  whole  country. 
At  first  it  was  supposed  that  the  Sioux  had  fired  the 
prairie,  but  later  it  appeared  that  the  Crees  had  done  it 


266  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

by  accident.  These  Crees  reported  that  they  had  seen 
a  calf  as  white  as  snow  in  a  herd  of  buffalo;  and  Henry 
mentions  how  greatly  white  buffalo  are  esteemed  among 
the  nations  of  the  Missouri,  but  that  they  are  not  val- 
ued by  the  Crees  and  Assiniboines,  except  to  trade  to 
other  tribes.  Occasionally  buffalo  are  seen  that  are 
dirty  gray,  but  these  are  very  rare.  Christmas  and 
New  Year  passed,  these  holidays  being  celebrated  by 
drinking,  so  that  for  New  Year's  Day  Henry  says:  "By 
sunrise  every  soul  of  them  was  raving  drunk — even  the 
children."  Buffalo  were  now  seen  in  great  abundance, 
and  came  within  gun-shot  of  the  fort.  A  day  or  two 
later  it  was  necessary  to  go  out  only  a  short  distance 
from  the  fort  to  kill  buffalo,  but  the  cold  was  so  intense 
that  it  was  impossible  to  cut  up  those  killed.  On  Jan- 
uary 2  there  arrived  at  the  fort,  Berdash,  a  man  who, 
as  used  to  be  not  very  uncommon,  wore  the  dress  and 
busied  himself  with  the  occupations  properly  belong- 
ing to  women.  He  was  a  swift  runner,  and  was  con- 
sidered the  fleetest  man  among  the  Saulteurs.  "Both 
his  speed  and  his  courage  were  tested  some  years  ago 
on  the  Schian  River,  where  Monsieur  Reaume  at- 
tempted to  make  peace  between  the  two  nations,  and 
Berdash  accompanied  a  party  of  Saulteurs  to  the  Sioux 
camp.  They  at  first  appeared  reconciled  to  each 
other,  at  the  intercession  of  the  whites,  but  on  the 
return  of  the  Saulteurs,  the  Sioux  pursued  them.  Both 
parties  were  on  foot,  and  the  Sioux  had  the  name 
of  being  extraordinarily  swift.  The  Saulteurs  impru- 
dently dispersed  in  the  plains,  and  several  of  them  were 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)  267 

killed,  but  the  party  with  Berdash  escaped  without  any 
accident,  in  the  following  manner:  One  of  them  had  got 
from  the  Sioux  a  bow,  but  only  a  few  arrows.  On 
starting  and  finding  themselves  pursued,  they  ran  a 
considerable  distance,  until  they  perceived  the  Sioux 
were  gaining  fast  upon  them,  when  Berdash  took  the 
bow  and  arrows  from  his  comrades,  and  told  them  to 
run  as  fast  as  possible,  without  minding  him,  as  he 
feared  no  danger.  He  then  faced  the  enemy,  and  began 
to  let  fly  his  arrows.  This  checked  their  course,  and 
they  returned  the  compliment  with  interest,  but  it  was 
so  far  off  that  only  a  chance  arrow  could  have  hurt  him, 
as  they  had  nearly  spent  their  strength  when  they  fell 
near  him.  His  own  arrows  were  soon  expended,  but 
he  lost  no  time  in  gathering  up  those  that  fell  near  him, 
and  thus  he  had  a  continual  supply.  Seeing  his  friends 
some  distance  off,  and  the  Sioux  moving  to  surround 
him,  he  turned  and  ran  full  speed  to  join  his  comrades, 
the  Sioux  after  him.  When  the  latter  approached  too 
near,  Berdash  again  stopped  and  faced  them,  with  his 
bow  and  arrows,  and  kept  them  at  bay.  Thus  did  he 
continue  to  maneuver  until  they  reached  a  spot  of 
strong  wood,  which  the  Sioux  dared  not  enter.  Some 
of  the  Saulteurs  who  were  present  have  often  recounted 
the  affair  to  me.  It  seemed  the  Sioux  from  the  first  were 
inclined  to  treachery,  being  very  numerous  and  the 
others  but  few.  The  Saulteurs  were  well  provided  with 
guns  and  ammunition,  but  on  the  first  meeting  were 
surrounded,  and  the  guns  taken  away  from  them,  in 
return  for  which  the  Sioux  gave  them  bows  and  arrows; 


268  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

but  in  a  manner  to  be  of  little  use,  giving  one  a  bow 
and  no  arrows,  another  a  quiver  of  arrows,  but  no 
bow." 

On  January  14  he  was  awakened  by  the  bellowing  of 
buffalo,  and  found  the  plains  black,  and  apparently  in 
motion.  An  enormous  herd  of  buffalo  surrounded  the 
fort,  and  were  moving  northward,  extending  south  as 
far  as  the  eye  could  see.  "  I  had  seen  almost  incredible 
numbers  of  buffalo  in  the  fall,  but  nothing  in  com- 
parison to  what  I  now  beheld.  The  ground  was  covered 
at  every  point  of  the  compass  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  and  every  animal  was  in  motion.  All  hands 
soon  attacked  them  with  a  tremendous  running  fire, 
which  put  them  to  a  quicker  pace,  but  had  no  effect  in 
altering  their  course.  The  first  roads  beaten  in  the 
snow  were  followed  by  those  in  the  rear.  They  passed 
in  full  speed,  until  about  nine  o'clock,  when  their  num- 
bers decreased,  and  they  kept  further  off  in  the  plains. 
There  was  about  fifteen  inches  of  snow  on  a  level,  in 
some  places  drifted  in  great  banks.  Notwithstanding 
the  buffalo  were  so  numerous,  and  twelve  guns  were 
employed,  we  killed  only  three  cows  and  one  old 
bull,  but  must  have  wounded  a  great  number."  The 
next  day  the  plains  were  still  covered  with  buffalo, 
moving  northward;  and  this  continued  for  a  day  or  two. 
The  stock  of  winter  provisions  was  now  all  laid  in — an 
abundance  of  good,  fat  buffalo  meat.  In  February  the 
buffalo  began  to  get  poor,  as  they  always  do  at  that 
time,  and  toward  the  end  of  the  month  some  of  the  men 
caught  a  cow  on  the  ice  of  the  river,  the  dogs  having 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)          269 

surrounded  her,  and  the  men  entangling  her  legs  in  a 
line,  so  that  she  fell  on  her  side;  they  then  dragged  her, 
still  alive,  to  the  fort,  when  she  jumped  to  her  feet  and 
ran  to  attack  the  dogs.  Two  men  mounted  on  her  back, 
but  she  was  as  active  with  this  load  as  before,  jumping 
and  kicking  at  the  dogs  in  most  agile  fashion. 

On  February  28  an  Indian  brought  in  a  spring  calf, 
which  he  had  found  dead,  an  unusually  early  birth. 
The  Indians  declared  that  this  meant  an  early  spring. 

The  first  outarde — Canada  goose — was  seen  March  12, 
and  on  the  same  day  a  swan.  On  this  day,  too,  it  was 
noted  that  the  sap  of  the  box-elder  began  to  run;  this 
yields  a  fine  white  sugar,  but  not  so  sweet  as  that  from 
the  real  sugar  maple  (Acer).  He  notes  that  bittersweet 
is  abundant  along  the  Red  River,  and  that  the  Indians 
eat  it  in  time  of  famine. 

Now  the  river,  on  account  of  melting  snow,  began  to 
rise,  and  to  lift  up  the  ice.  Henry  began  to  get  out  his 
canoes  and  mend  them  up  for  the  summer  use.  Wild- 
fowl made  their  appearance  in  great  numbers,  and  on 
the  23rd  young  calves  were  seen  by  the  men.  And  now, 
the  ice  of  the  river  coming  down,  carried  with  it  great 
numbers  of  dead  buffalo  from  above,  which  had  been 
drowned  in  crossing  the  river  while  the  ice  was  weak. 
Their  numbers  were  astonishing.  Often  they  were 
drifted  to  the  shore,  where  the  women  cut  up  some  of 
the  fattest  for  their  own  use,  the  flesh  seeming  to  be 
fresh  and  good.  On  the  yth  of  April  one  of  his  men 
brought  in  to  Henry  three  wolves  born  this  spring; 
another  had  brought  in  six,  which  he  had  found  in  one 


270  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

hole,  and  which  were  now  very  tame.  It  was  proposed 
to  keep  them  for  sledge  dogs  in  winter. 

A  little  later  the  odor  of  the  decaying  buffalo  lying 
there  along  the  river  was  terrible.  In  fact,  on  his 
journey  down  the  river  with  his  goods,  which  were  now 
to  be  despatched  to  Montreal,  the  stench  of  the  drowned 
buffalo  was  such  that  Henry  could  not  eat  his  supper. 

At  last  he  despatched  his  goods,  and  about  the  first 
of  June  left  for  the  Grand  Portage.  The  proceeds  of 
the  winter's  trade  amounted  to  nearly  two  thousand 
pounds,  Halifax  currency. 


TWO  MEN  MOUNTED  ON  HER  BACK,  BUT  SHE  WAS  AS  ACTIVE 
WITH  THIS  LOAD  AS  BEFORE. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

ALEXANDER  HENRY  (THE  YOUNGER) 

ii 

IN  August,  1 80 1,  Henry  was  on  his  way  to  a  new 
post  on  the  Pembina,  the  one  which  Langlois 
had  established  the  year  before.  He  intended 
to  establish  also  a  post  at  Grandes  Fourches,  the  site 
of  the  present  town  of  Grand  Forks,  North  Dakota. 
This  business,  and  his  travels  to  other  subsidiary  trad- 
ing-posts that  he  built  at  various  points,  occupied  the 
autumn.  Game  was  abundant,  and  so  were  fish.  The 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  the  opposition,  were  not  far 
off,  and  there  was  some  intercourse  between  the  men 
of  the  two  companies.  On  March  14,  during  a  drinking- 
match,  occured  one  of  the  fights  among  the  Indians 
which  were  so  common  in  those  days  of  abundant  liquor. 
"Gros  Bras,  in  a  fit  of  jealousy,  stabbed  Auposoi  to 
death  with  a  hand-dague;  the  first  stroke  opened  his 
left  side,  the  second  his  belly,  and  the  third  his  breast. 
He  never  stirred,  although  he  had  a  knife  in  his  belt, 
and  died  instantly.  Soon  after  this,  Auposoi's  brother 
a  boy  about  ten  years  of  age,  took  the  deceased's  gun 
loaded  it  with  two  balls,  and  approached  Gros  Bras' 
tent.  Putting  the  muzzle  of  the  gun  through  the  door, 

271 


272  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

the  boy  fired  the  two  balls  into  his  breast,  and  killed 
him  dead,  just  as  he  was  reproaching  his  wife  for  her 
affection  for  Auposoi,  and  boasting  of  the  vengeance 
he  had  taken.  The  little  fellow  ran  into  the  woods  and 
hid.  Little  Shell  found  the  old  woman,  Auposoi's 
mother,  in  her  tent;  he  instantly  stabbed  her.  Onda- 
inoiache  then  came  in,  took  the  knife,  and  gave  her  a 
second  stab.  Little  Shell,  in  his  turn,  taking  the  knife, 
gave  a  third  blow.  In  this  manner  did  these  two  rascals 
continue  to  murder  the  old  woman  as  long  as  there  was 
any  life  in  her.  The  boy  escaped  into  Langlois'  house, 
and  was  kept  hid  until  they  were  all  sober." 

March  15,  a  swan,  a  turkey-buzzard,  and  a  hawk,  the 
first  spring  birds,  were  seen;  and  by  the  middle  of  April 
wild-fowl  were  plenty,  and  calves  were  becoming  numer- 
ous. Passenger  pigeons  were  passing  north,  and  toward 
the  end  of  the  month  some  Indians  came  in  with  thirty- 
six  whole  beaver  in  a  skin  canoe.  In  May  came  the 
news  of  a  Sioux  attack  on  the  Saulteurs,  in  which  seven 
of  the  latter  were  killed.  Henry  planted  his  garden, 
and  soon  after  made  ready  for  his  departure  to  join  the 
brigade. 

The  next  September  he  was  back  again  at  Panbian 
River,  trading  with  the  Indians,  and,  of  course,  handing 
out  rum  to  them.  His  entry  for  February  15  contains  a 
small  temperance  lecture  which  represented  what  he 
sometimes  preached,  but  never  practised.  As  he  says: 
"The  Indians  totally  neglected  their  ancient  customs; 
and  to  what  can  this  degeneration  be  ascribed  but  to 
their  intercourse  with  us,  particularly  as  they  are  so 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)  273 

unfortunate  as  to  have  a  continual  succession  of  oppo- 
sition parties  to  teach  them  roguery,  and  to  destroy 
both  mind  and  body  with  that  pernicious  article  rum  ? 
What  a  different  set  of  people  they  would  be  were  there 
not  a  drop  of  liquor  in  the  country.  If  a  murder  is 
committed  among  the  Saulteurs,  it  is  due  to  a  drinking 
match.  You  may  truly  say  that  liquor  is  the  root  of 
all  evil  in  the  West." 

Spring  came  on  with  the  usual  signs.  The  women 
were  making  sugar  at  the  last  of  March  (1803),  and  it 
was  noted  that  spring  that  very  few  buffalo  drifted 
down  the  river.  The  plains  of  the  Red  River  were 
covered  with  water  from  the  sudden  melting  of  the  snow, 
and  the  men  suffered  much,  for  they  were  continually 
on  the  march,  looking  up  Indians  along  every  stream. 
The  water  was  commonly  knee-deep,  and  in  some  places 
much  deeper,  and  was  usually  covered  with  ice  in  the 
morning,  making  the  walking  tiresome,  and  often 
dangerous.  Some  of  the  best  men,  Henry  says,  lose  the 
use  of  their  legs  while  still  in  the  prime  of  life.  The 
Indians  were  now  bringing  in  the  proceeds  of  their 
spring  hunt,  and  exchanging  it  for  rum.  When  the 
time  came  around,  Henry  interrupted  his  hunting  and 
his  trading  to  plant  his  garden,  sowing  potatoes,  cabbage, 
and  many  root  crops.  With  the  end  of  May  came  the 
mosquitoes,  a  terrible  pest.  Among  the  articles  traded 
for  was  maple  sugar,  an  important  article  of  food  in  that 
country.  As  usual,  about  midsummer,  Henry  started 
down  the  river  with  his  furs,  and  reached  Fort  William 

July  3- 


274  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

On  the  aQth  of  the  same  month  he  started  on  his 
return  journey,  with  a  brigade  of  eight  canoes;  and  about 
two  months  later,  September  20,  found  himself  at  the 
present  Winnipeg,  and  soon  afterward  at  the  old  post 
on  the  Panbian  River. 

Horses  had  now  begun  to  be  used  in  the  trade  at  this 
point,  and  Henry  grumbles  about  them  in  a  long  entry, 
which  is  worth  reproducing:  "It  is  true  they  are  useful 
animals,  but  if  there  were  not  one  in  all  the  Northwest 
we  should  have  less  trouble  and  expense.  Our  men 
would  neither  be  so  burdened  with  families,  nor  so 
indolent  and  insolent  as  they  are,  and  the  natives  in 
general  would  be  more  honest  and  industrious.  Let 
an  impartial  eye  look  into  the  affair,  to  discover  whence 
originates  the  unbounded  extravagance  of  our  meadow 
gentry,  both  white  and  native,  and  horses  will  be  found 
one  of  the  principal  causes.  Let  us  view  the  bustle 
and  noise  which  attended  the  transportation  of  five 
pieces  of  goods  to  a  place  where  the  houses  were  built 
in  1801-02.  The  men  were  up  at  break  of  day,  and 
their  horses  tackled  long  before  sunrise;  but  they  were 
not  ready  to  move  before  ten  o'clock,  when  I  had  the 
curiosity  to  climb  on  top  of  my  house  to  watch  their 
motions,  and  observe  their  order  of  march. 

"Antoine  Payet,  guide  and  second  in  command,  leads 
the  van  with  a  cart  drawn  by  two  horses,  and  loaded 
with  private  baggage,  cassetetes,  bags,  kettles,  and  mash- 
queminctes.  Madame  Payet  follows  the  cart,  with  a 
child  a  year  old  on  her  back,  very  merry.  Charles 
Bottineau,  with  two  horses  and  a  cart,  loaded  with  ij 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)          275 

packs,  his  own  baggage,  and  two  young  children,  with 
kettles  and  other  trash  hanging  on  to  it.  Madame  Bot- 
tineau,  with  a  squalling  infant  on  her  back,  scolding  and 
tossing  it  about.  Joseph  Dubord  goes  on  foot,  with  his 
long  pipestem  and  calumet  in  his  hand.  Madame 
Dubord  follows  on  foot,  carrying  his  tobacco  pouch  with 
a  broad  bead  tail.  Antoine  Thellier,  with  a  cart  and  two 
horses,  loaded  with  ij  packs  of  goods,  and  Dubois'  bag- 
gage. Antoine  La  Pointe,  with  another  cart  and  horses, 
loaded  with  two  pieces  of  goods,  and  with  baggage  be- 
longing to  Brisebois,  Jasmin,  and  Pouliot,  and  a  kettle 
hung  on  each  side.  Auguste  Brisebois  follows,  with 
only  his  gun  on  his  shoulder  and  a  fresh-lighted  pipe  in 
his  mouth.  Michel  Jasmin  goes  next,  like  Brisebois, 
with  gun  and  pipe,  puffing  out  clouds  of  smoke. 
Nicolas  Pouliot,  the  greatest  smoker  in  the  Northwest, 
has  nothing  but  pipe  and  pouch;  those  three  fellows 
have  taken  a  farewell  dram,  and  lighted  fresh  pipes, 
go  on  brisk  and  merry,  playing  numerous  pranks. 
Dormin  Livernois,  with  a  young  mare,  the  property  of 
Mr.  Langlois,  loaded  with  weeds  for  smoking,  an  old 
worsted  bag  (madame's  property),  some  squashes  and 
potatoes,  a  small  keg  of  fresh  water,  and  two  young 
whelps,  howling.  Next  goes  Livernois'  young  horse, 
drawing  a  travaille,  loaded  with  baggage  and  a  large 
worsted  mashguemcate,  belonging  to  Madame  Langlois. 
Next  appears  Madame  Cameron's  mare,  kicking,  rear- 
ing, and  snorting,  hauling  a  travaille  loaded  with  a  bag 
of  flour,  cabbage,  turnips,  onions,  a  small  keg  of  water, 
and  a  large  kettle  of  broth.  Michel  Langlois,  who  is 


276  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

master  of  the  band,  now  comes  on  leading  a  horse  that 
draws  a  travaille  nicely  covered  with  a  new  painted  tent, 
under  which  his  daughter  and  Mrs.  Cameron  lie  at  full 
length,  very  sick;  this  covering  or  canopy  has  a  pretty 
effect  in  the  caravan,  and  appears  at  a  great  distance  in 
the  plains.  Madame  Langlois  brings  up  the  rear  of 
the  human  beings,  following  the  travaille  with  a  slow 
step  and  melancholy  air,  attending  to  the  wants  of  her 
daughter,  who,  nothwithstanding  her  sickness,  can  find 
no  other  expressions  of  gratitude  to  her  parents  than 
by  calling  them  dogs,  fools,  beasts,  etc.  The  rear-guard 
consists  of  a  long  train  of  twenty  dogs,  some  for  sleighs, 
some  for  game,  and  others  for  no  use  whatever,  except 
to  snarl  and  destroy  meat.  The  total  forms  a  proces- 
sion nearly  a  mile  long,  and  appears  like  a  large  band 
of  Assiniboines." 

Early  in  November  Henry  went  over  to  the  Hair 
Hills.  In  March,  on  a  journey  from  the  Hair  Hills  to 
his  home,  he  says  that  he  travelled  in  the  night  always, 
preferring  to  do  so  at  this  season  of  the  year,  partly  to 
avoid  snow  blindness,  and  partly  because  the  cold  of 
the  night  makes  travel  easier  than  during  the  day,  when 
the  snow  is  melted  and  soft,  and  dogs  and  sledges  sink 
deep  into  it.  In  April,  when  he  was  chasing  buffalo, 
he  came  near  leaving  his  bones  in  the  plains,  a  prey  for 
the  wolves.  "This  was  occasioned  by  my  horse  stum- 
bling while  at  full  speed.  I  was  just  drawing  my  gun 
from  the  belt  to  fire,  holding  it  by  the  barrel,  near  the 
muzzle,  when  the  sudden  shock  caused  the  priming  to 
fire  the  gun;  the  ball  passed  near  my  hip  and  struck  in 


'  Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)          277 

the  ground,  and  the  gun  flew  some  distance.  I  was 
in  the  midst  of  the  herd;  a  fine  large  calf  passing  near 
me,  I  dismounted,  caught  him  by  the  tail,  and  held  him 
fast;  he  began  to  bleat,  when  instantly  the  mother 
turned  and  rushed  at  me;  I  was  glad  to  let  go  and  run 
to  my  horse.  As  I  reflected  on  my  narrow  escape,  it 
brought  to  my  mind  a  similar  affair  which  happened 
to  me  some  years  ago  at  Michipicoten,  when  shooting 
wildfowl  in  the  spring,  in  a  small  canoe.  In  attempting 
to  remove  my  gun  from  my  left  to  my  right  side,  passing 
the  muzzle  behind  my  back,  the  cock  got  fast  in  one  of 
the  bars,  and,  on  my  pulling  the  gun  forward  from 
behind  me,  she  went  off;  the  load  grazed  my  right  side, 
taking  a  piece  of  my  belt  and  capot  away." 

In  April  he  bought  a  beautiful  white  buffalo  skin; 
the  hair  was  long,  soft  and  perfectly  white,  resembling  a 
sheep's  fleece.  Early  in  May  extraordinary  numbers  of 
wild  pigeons  were  seen,  and  the  Indian  women  were 
preparing  the  ground  for  their  farming.  With  the  sum- 
mer came  the  usual  packing  of  the  furs,  and  the  journey 
to  Kamanistiquia.  The  return  journey  was  a  short 
one,  and  Henry  reached  the  Panbian  River  early  in 
September.  In  October  he  writes,  as  showing  the 
excellence  of  his  horse,  that  one  day  he  ran  an  elk  five 
miles  before  killing  it;  then  chased  a  hare,  which  he 
killed  after  a  long  pursuit;  and  finally,  toward  evening, 
he  ran  a  herd  of  buffalo,  and  killed  a  fat  cow  for  supper. 
Besides  these  long  races,  he  had  covered  about  thirty- 
six  miles  of  travel. 

This  winter,  because  he  refused  to  give  credit  to  an 


278  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

Indian  for  a  blanket,  Henry  was  twice  shot  at,  but 
missed.  On  his  return  to  his  post  that  summer,  he 
learned  of  an  attack  on  a  small  camp  of  his  Indians  by 
Sioux  a  month  earlier.  This  is  the  story  as  Henry  gives 
it,  and  it  may  be  retold  because  it  illustrates  Indian 
modes:  "My  beau-pere  (father-in-law)  was  the  first 
man  that  fell,  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning.  He 
had  climbed  a  tree  to  see  if  the  buffalo  were  at  hand, 
as  they  were  tented  there  to  make  dried  provisions.  He 
had  no  sooner  reached  the  top  than  two  Sioux  discover- 
ers [scouts]  fired  at  the  same  moment,  and  both  balls 
passed  through  his  body.  He  had  only  time  to  call  out 
to  his  family,  who  were  in  the  tent,  about  a  hundred 
paces  from  him,  'Save  yourselves,  the  Sioux  are  killing 
us!'  and  fell  dead  to  the  ground,  his  body  breaking 
several  branches  of  the  tree  as  it  dropped.  The  noise 
brought  the  Indians  out  of  the  tent,  when,  perceiving 
their  danger,  the  women  and  children  instantly  ran 
through  the  plains  toward  an  island  of  wood  on  Tongue 
River,  about  a  mile  distant,  and  on  a  direct  line  toward 
the  fort.  The  men  took  their  arms  and  made  off  also, 
keeping  in  the  rear  of  their  women  and  children,  whom 
they  urged  on.  The  four  surviving  men  had  not  gone 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  when  they  saw  the  main 
body  of  the  war  party,  on  horseback,  rushing  down  upon 
them.  Crossing  Tongue  River,  and  in  a  few  moments 
coming  up  with  them,  the  Sioux  began  to  fire.  The  four 
men,  by  expert  maneuvers  and  incessant  fire,  prevented 
the  enemy  from  closing  in  on  them,  while  the  women 
and  children  continued  to  fly,  and  the  men  followed. 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)  279 

They  were  within  about  two  hundred  paces  of  the  wood, 
and  some  of  the  most  active  had  actually  entered  it, 
when  the  enemy  surrounded  and  fell  upon  them.  Three 
of  the  Saulteurs  fled  in  different  directions;  Grand 
Gueule  escaped  before  they  were  completely  surrounded, 
but  the  other  two  were  killed.  One  who  remained  to 
protect  the  women  and  children  was  a  brave  fellow — 
Aceguemanche,  or  Little  Chief;  he  waited  deliberately 
until  the  enemy  came  very  near,  when  he  fired  at  one 
who  appeared  to  be  a  chief,  and  knocked  the  Sioux 
from  his  horse.  Three  young  girls  and  a  boy  were 
taken  prisoners;  the  remainder  were  all  murdered  and 
mutilated  in  a  horrible  manner.  Several  women  and 
children  had  escaped  in  the  woods,  where  the  enemy 
chased  them  on  horseback,  but  the  willows  and  brush 
were  so  intricate  that  every  one  of  these  escaped.  A 
boy  about  twelve  years  old,  when  the  Sioux  pursued, 
crawled  into  a  hollow  under  a  bunch  of  willows,  which 
a  horseman  leaped  over  without  perceiving  him.  One 
of  the  little  girls  who  escaped  tells  a  pitiful  story  of  her 
mother,  who  was  killed.  This  woman,  having  two  young 
children  that  could  not  walk  fast  enough,  had  taken  one 
of  them  on  her  back  and  prevailed  upon  her  sister-in-law 
to  carry  the  other;  but  when  they  got  near  the  woods, 
and  the  enemy  rushed  upon  them  with  hideous  yells 
and  war-whoops,  the  young  woman  was  so  frightened 
that  she  threw  down  the  child  and  soon  overtook  the 
mother,  who,  observing  that  the  child  was  missing,  and 
hearing  its  screams,  kissed  her  little  daughter — the  one 
who  relates  the  story — saying,  with  tears  streaming 


280  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

from  her  eyes:  'Take  courage,  my  daughter;  try  to  reach 
the  woods,  and  if  you  do,  go  to  your  eldest  sister,  who 
will  be  kind  to  you;  I  must  turn  back  and  recover  your 
youngest  sister,  or  die  in  the  attempt.  Take  courage; 
run  fast,  my  daughter!'  Poor  woman!  She  actually 
did  recover  her  child,  and  was  running  off  with  both 
children,  when  she  was  felled  to  the  ground  by  a  blow 
on  the  head  with  a  war-club.  She  recovered  instantly, 
drew  her  knife,  and  plunged  it  into  the  neck  of  her 
murderer;  but  others  coming  up,  she  was  despatched. 
Thus  my  belle-mere  ended  her  days." 

This  same  story  is  told  by  Tanner,  who  was  then  an 
Indian  captive,  living  with  the  Chippewas.  Tanner  even 
mentions  Henry's  name,  and  speaks  of  his  father-in-law 
having  been  killed.  The  Saulteurs  were  determined  to 
avenge  the  death  of  their  relations,  and  Henry  furnished 
them  with  ammunition  for  their  war  journey.  Later,  he 
visited  the  battle-field  and  the  Sioux  camp,  and  judged 
from  the  sign  that  there  must  have  been  about  three 
hundred  men  in  the  Sioux  party.  In  October  the  re- 
mains of  the  Sioux  killed  by  Little  Chief  were  dis- 
covered by  some  of  the  Indians;  and  the  certainty  that 
their  enemies  had  met  one  loss  was  some  satisfaction 
to  the  Saulteurs. 

Although  Henry  had  made  an  agreement  with  Mr. 
Miller,  an  agent  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  by 
which  the  rum  to  be  given  to  the  Indians  should  be 
limited,  the  winter  did  not  pass  without  deaths  due  to 
drinking.  One  of  these  was  an  accident  where  a  drunk- 
en Indian  knocked  down  a  gun  which,  exploding,  killed 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)          281 

one  of  Henry's  men,  who  was  lying  on  a  bed  in  the  next 
room.  The  profits  for  the  season's  work  in  1805  and 
1806,  as  given  in  Henry's  diary,  are  nearly  three  thou- 
sand five  hundred  pounds. 

Early  in  July,  1806,  after  his  return  from  down  the 
river,  Henry  made  preparations  to  set  off  on  a  tour  to 
the  south-west,  to  the  country  of  the  Mandans,  who  then, 
as  now,  lived  on  the  Missouri  River.  There  had  been 
heavy  rains,  and  the  plains  of  the  Red  River  were  covered 
with  water,  or  else  were  so  muddy  that  travel  was  slow 
and  exceedingly  laborious.  The  horses  often  sank  up 
to  their  knees  in  mud,  and  at  times  had  water  up  to  their 
bellies,  while  the  little  rivulets  which  they  crossed  they 
were  obliged  to  swim,  carrying  on  their  heads  such  arti- 
cles as  they  wished  to  keep  dry.  Mosquitoes  were  a 
veritable  plague,  and  Henry  had  prepared  a  mask  of  thin 
dressed  caribou  skin,  which  in  some  measure  protected 
him;  but  those  who  were  not  provided  with  some  defense 
suffered  terribly.  Only  when  the  wind  blew  was  there 
any  relief.  They  were  more  than  once  obliged  to  make 
rafts,  and  when  they  were  naked,  hauling  the  raft  back 
and  forth,  they  had  no  defense  against  the  mosquitoes. 
The  horses  suffered  as  much  as  the  men. 

The  final  start  for  the  Mandans  was  from  the  estab- 
lishment on  Mouse  River,  and  the  party  consisted  of 
seven  persons,  of  whom  one  was  a  Saulteur,  a  brother- 
in-law  of  Chaboillez,  who  had  undertaken  to  guide  the 
party  to  the  Mandans.  It  was  midsummer,  and  they 
travelled  west-southwest  over  delightful  prairies,  where 
antelope  were  exceedingly  abundant.  After  crossing 


282  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

Mouse  River,  they  found  buffalo  in  great  plenty,  and  all 
in  motion,  from  east  to  west.  It  was  the  rutting  season, 
and  the  herds  were  noisy  and  excited.  On  the  i8th  of 
July,  as  they  were  crossing  the  high  Missouri  plains, 
they  came  in  sight  of  the  buttes,  called  Maison  du  Chien, 
now  commonly  known  as  the  Dogden  Buttes.  This  is 
one  of  the  great  landmarks  of  the  country,  and  many 
stirring  adventures  have  taken  place  within  sight  of  it. 
A  little  later  they  could  see  the  high  red  banks  of  the 
Missouri  before  them,  a  long  way  off. 

When  they  reached  it,  they  found  plenty  of  tracks  of 
people  there,  and  an  abundance  of  last  year's  corncobs. 
The  winter  village  of  the  Minitaris  was  near.  A  well- 
defined  trail  led  down  the  river,  and  they  were  several 
times  in  danger  of  breaking  their  necks  in  deep  pits, 
which  the  natives  had  dug  in  the  path  to  catch  wolves 
and  foxes  in  winter.  Some  of  these  were  ten  feet  deep, 
and  hollowed  out  in  places  to  about  thirty  feet  in  cir- 
cumference, while  the  entrance  was  no  wider  than  a 
foot-path,  and  about  five  feet  in  length.  "These  holes 
are  covered  with  dried  grass,  at  the  season  when  the 
wolves  are  caught,  and  every  morning  are  found  to 
contain  some  of  those  animals.  In  summer  the  grass 
grows  strong  and  high  about  the  mouths,  entirely  con- 
cealing them  until  one  arrives  upon  the  very  brink, 
and  he  is  in  danger  of  tumbling  in  headlong."  Down 
the  river  about  five  miles  they  came  to  a  Mandan 
village.  The  people  received  them  pleasantly,  and  the 
Black  Cat,  the  chief,  took  them  to  one  of  his  houses, 
which  was  kept  for  strangers.  The  people  were  desirous 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)          283 

of  trading,  and  could  not  understand  why  the  white 
men  should  have  come  so  far  out  of  mere  curiosity.  As 
usual  in  these  permanent  villages  of  earth  lodges,  the 
horses  at  night  were  confined  in  one  part  of  the  lodge 
while  the  people  slept  in  the  other.  The  Mandans  had 
large  earthen  pots  of  different  sizes,  from  five  gallons  to 
one  quart,  used  solely  for  boiling  corn  and  beans.  The 
Black  Cat  was  told  the  next  day  by  a  Canadian  who 
lived  in  the  neighboring  Mandan  village,  who  his  visi- 
tors were,  and  at  once  brought  out  the  American  flag, 
given  him  in  the  autumn  of  1804  by  Captains  Lewis  and 
Clark,  and  hoisted  it  over  the  hut  in  which  the  strangers 
were  staying.  When  they  were  about  to  cross  the  river 
and  go  to  the  opposite  village,  they  packed  up  such 
goods  as  they  had,  and  the  few  things  they  had  pur- 
chased, chiefly  provisions,  and  gave  them  into  the  care 
of  the  chief.  "These  people  are  much  given  to  thieving, 
but  in  the  hut  in  which  a  stranger  is  lodged  his  property 
may  be  left  in  perfect  security;  none  dare  touch  it,  as 
the  master  conceives  his  honor  concerned  in  whatever 
is  placed  under  his  immediate  protection.  Out  of  doors, 
if  they  can  pick  your  pocket  or  pilfer  any  article,  it  is 
gone  in  an  instant,  and  search  would  be  in  vain;  every 
one  would  wish  to  appear  innocent,  although  they  are 
not  offended  when  accused  of  stealing,  but  laugh  the 
matter  away." 

Henry  and  his  people  crossed  the  river  in  bull-boats, 
and  were  well  received  at  the  other  Mandan  village. 
He  noted  the  expertness  of  the  young  men  in  getting 
the  horses  across,  one  swimming  ahead  with  the  rope 


284  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

in  his  teeth,  while  others  swam  on  each  side,  and  in  the 
rear,  driving  each  horse  very  rapidly.  He  also  saw 
bull-boats — a  new  vessel  to  him.  They  had  hardly 
reached  the  village  when  there  came  in  some  Pawnees 
from  down  the  river  on  an  embassy  to  treat  for  peace. 
They  could  not  speak  the  language  either  of  the  Man- 
dans  or  the  Minitaris,  but  they  talked  freely  in  signs; 
and  this  sign  language  seems  to  have  been  a  surprise  to 
Henry.  He  says:  "They  hold  conversations  for  several 
hours  upon  different  subjects,  during  the  whole  of 
which  time  not  a  single  word  is  pronounced  upon  either 
side,  and  still  they  appear  to  comprehend  each  other 
perfectly  well.  This  mode  of  communication  is  natural 
to  them.  Their  gestures  are  made  with  the  greatest 
ease,  and  they  never  seem  to  be  at  a  loss  for  a  sign  to 
express  their  meaning." 

These  people  collected  their  fuel  in  the  spring,  when 
the  ice  broke  up,  and  great  quantities  of  wood  drifted 
down.  The  young  men  were  accustomed  to  swim  out 
among  the  drifting  ice  and  bring  in  the  trees,  however 
large,  which  they  hauled  out  on  the  bank.  Immense 
piles  of  driftwood  were  seen  opposite  each  village,  and 
some  of  the  trees  were  very  large.  While  collecting 
this  driftwood,  they  also  drew  to  land  great  numbers  of 
drowned  buffalo,  of  which  they  were  very  fond. 

He  noticed — as  have  many  others — that  some  chil- 
dren were  gray-haired,  and  that  others  were  blond.  A 
Minitari  was  seen  with  yellow  hair,  something  not  un- 
exampled in  old  times. 

The  men  wore  their  hair  twisted  into  a  number  of 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)          285 

small  tails,  hanging  down  the  back  to  below  the  waist. 
In  some  of  them  it  trailed  on  the  ground.  The  Chey- 
ennes  to-day  tell  us  that  a  hundred  years  ago  the  men 
of  their  tribe  wore  their  hair  in  the  same  fashion.  From 
the  village  of  the  Mandans  they  went  on  up  the  river 
to  those  of  the  Soulier  [Amahami,  a  tribe  now  extinct] 
and  Minitari  villages.  Here  they  met  Mackenzie  and 
Caldwell,  employees  in  the  service  of  the  Northwest 
Company,  who  had  been  residing  some  little  time  in  the 
village. 

Henry  was  not  particularly  well  pleased  with  his  re- 
ception here,  and  indeed  the  Indians  paid  little  attention 
to  the  white  men,  and  seemed  to  despise  them.  The 
village,  which  formerly  contained  nine  hundred  houses, 
now  had  only  a  hundred  and  thirty,  smallpox  and  other 
diseases  having  reduced  them  to  that  number.  While 
in  this  village  the  white  men  found  it  dangerous  to  stray 
out  of  the  hut  without  a  stout  stick  to  keep  off  the 
dogs,  which  were  so  numerous  and  savage  as  sometimes 
actually  to  attack  them.  The  people  had  many  horses. 
Henry  greatly  objected  to  their  custom  of  apparently 
becoming  dissatisfied  with  their  bargain  after  a  trade 
had  been  concluded,  and  returning  and  taking  back 
the  article  they  had  sold,  while  giving  up  the  price  paid 
for  it.  For  example:  "One  of  the  natives  had  a  turkey 
cock's  tail,  great  numbers  of  which  they  got  from  the 
Schians,  and  which  serve  them  as  fans;  this  was  a  new 
and  fresh  one  of  beautiful  hue.  I  gave  him  five  rounds 
of  ammunition  for  it,  with  which  he  appeared  well  satis- 
fied, and  left  me,  but  soon  returned  with  the  ammuni- 


286  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

tion,  and  demanded  the  tail.  Being  loth  to  part  with 
it,  I  added  five  more  rounds  to  the  price,  which  he  ac- 
cepted and  went  away.  However,  he  soon  reappeared 
and  I  added  four  more;  but  to  no  purpose,  for  he 
continued  to  go  and  come  until  the  payment  amounted 
to  thirty  rounds.  Upon  his  next  appearance  I  offered 
forty  rounds;  but  he  would  no  longer  listen  to  any 
offer,  threw  down  my  ammunition,  and  insisted  upon 
my  returning  him  the  tail,  which  I  was  obliged  to  do." 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

ALEXANDER  HENRY  (THE  YOUNGER) 
in 

ON  July  28   they  started  on  their  return  to  the 
north,  in  constant  fears  and  alarms  lest  the  As- 
siniboines   should    steal    their   horses.     A  few 
days  later  the  horses,  troubled  by  mosquitoes,  broke 
their  ropes,  and  eight  of  them  ran  off  in  their  hobbles. 
These  could  not  be  found  again,  and  some  of  the  people 
were  obliged  to  go  forward  on  foot,  while  the  baggage 
was  loaded  on  the  remaining  horses. 

On  his  journey  back  to  the  Pembina  River,  Henry  had 
an  experience  comical  to  read  about,  but  not  to  endure. 
"We  took  the  traverse  for  the  mountain,  but  on  coming 
to  Cypress  River  found  it  had  overflowed  its  banks  about 
three  acres  on  each  side,  and  could  find  no  fordable 
place.  We  were  obliged  to  turn  out  of  our  way  some 
miles,  in  going  to  where  we  perceived  a  large,  dry  poplar 
tree,  and  a  few  stunted  willows,  but  there  we  had  the 
mortification  to  find  that  the  wood  stood  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  river.  There  being  no  alternative,  we 
unloaded  our  horses  and  stripped.  I  crossed  over,  col- 
lected what  brush  I  could  find,  and  with  the  poplar 

287 


288  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

formed  a  raft,  so  very  slight  as  to  carry  scarcely  more 
than  fifty  pounds'  weight.  The  mosquitoes  were  in- 
tolerable, and  as  we  were  obliged  to  remain  naked  for 
about  four  hours,  we  suffered  more  than  I  can  describe. 
The  grass  on  each  side  was  too  high  to  haul  our  raft 
through  to  dry  land;  we  could  use  it  only  on  the  river  by 
means  of  two  long  cords,  one  fastened  to  each  end. 
Ducharme  hauled  it  over  to  his  side,  and  after  making 
it  fast,  he  went  to  dry  land  for  a  load  in  water  up  to  his 
armpits,  whilst  I  waited  with  my  whole  body  immersed 
until  he  brought  down  a  load  and  laid  it  upon  the  raft. 
I  then  hauled  it  over  and  carried  the  load  to  dry  land 
upon  my  head.  Every  time  I  landed  the  mosquitoes 
plagued  me  insufferably;  and  still  worse,  the  horse  that 
I  had  crossed  over  upon  was  so  tormented  that  he  broke 
his  fetters  and  ran  away.  I  was  under  the  cruel  necessity 
of  pursuing  him  on  the  plains  entirely  naked;  fortu- 
nately I  caught  him  and  brought  him  back.  I  suffered 
a  good  deal  from  the  sharp-pointed  grass  pricking  my 
bare  feet,  and  mosquito  bites  covered  my  body.  The 
sun  was  set  before  we  finished  our  transportation.  The 
water  in  this  river  is  always  excessively  cold,  and  by 
the  time  we  got  all  over,  our  bodies  were  as  blue  as 
indigo;  we  were  shivering  like  aspen  leaves,  and  our 
legs  were  cut  and  chafed  by  the  coarse,  stiff  grass.  We 
shot  an  old  swan,  and  caught  two  young  ones  that  could 
not  fly;  this  made  us  a  comfortable  supper." 

Henry  reached  the  fort  August  14. 

"One  of  our  hunters  killed  thirty-six  prime  bears  in 
the  course  of  the  season  on  the  Hair  Hills.  Whatever 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)          289 

number  of  bears  an  Indian  may  kill  in  the  summer  or 
fall  is  considered  of  no  consequence,  as  they  are  value- 
less and  easy  to  hunt,  but  after  they  have  taken  up 
their  winter  quarters  the  Indians  glory  in  killing 
them." 

In  August,  1808,  Henry  finally  left  the  Panbian  River 
on  his  way  westward,  bidding  adieu  also  to  the  Saulteur 
tribes,  among  which,  as  he  says,  he  had  passed  sixteen 
long  winters.  His  journey  was  through  Lake  Winnipeg 
to  the  Saskatchewan  and  Lake  Bourbon,  now  known  as 
Cedar  Lake.  On  the  22nd  he  passed  old  Fort  Bourbon, 
established  in  1749  by  Verendrye,  and  entered  one  of 
the  channels  of  the  Saskatchewan.  Wild-fowl  were  very 
abundant  as  they  pushed  up  the  river.  At  last  they 
entered  Sturgeon  Lake,  and  reached  Cumberland  House. 
They  kept  on  up  the  stream,  ascending  the  north  branch, 
from  time  to  time  meeting  Indians,  some  of  whom  were 
Assiniboines,  called  Assiniboines  of  the  Saskatchewan, 
and  as  they  had  before  this  purchased  some  horses,  they 
were  fearful  that  these  might  be  stolen.  It  was  now 
September,  and  the  bushes  were  loaded  with  choke- 
cherries  and  service  berries.  Buffalo  paths  running  in 
every  direction  were  deep  and  numerous.  Ammunition 
was  issued  early  in  September  to  the  men  for  purposes 
of  defense.  Soon  buffalo  were  met,  and  here  Henry 
first  ran  these  animals  over  the  rough  ground  of  the 
plains,  covered  with  large  round  stones,  and  pierced 
at  frequent  intervals  with  badger  holes.  On  September 
13  he  reached  Fort  Vermilion,  where  was  a  fort  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  and  found  the  Blackfeet  all 


290  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

about.  Here  Henry  wintered,  expecting  to  be  visited 
by  numerous  tribes  from  the  south. 

Just  before  Christmas,  in  December,  the  Blackfeet 
invited  Henry  and  his  Hudson's  Bay  neighbor  to  come 
to  their  camp  and  see  buffalo  driven  into  the  pound. 
The  two  men  went  in  dog  sledges,  and  were  kindly 
received  by  the  Indians,  but  the  weather  was  insuffer- 
able, being  foggy,  and  the  wind  was  contrary.  They 
viewed  the  pound,  where  they  "had  only  the  satisfaction 
of  viewing  the  mangled  carcasses  strewn  about  the 
pound.  The  bulls  were  mostly  entire,  none  but  good 
cows  having  been  cut  up.  The  stench  from  this  in- 
closure  was  great,  even  at  this  season,  for  the  weather 
was  mild."  From  the  lookout  hill,  buffalo  were  seen 
in  enormous  numbers,  but  as  the  wind  was  unfavorable, 
every  herd  that  was  brought  near  to  the  pound  dis- 
persed and  ran  away.  After  having  been  there  two 
days,  Henry  became  disgusted,  and  returned  to  the  post; 
but  he  was  followed  by  a  number  of  Blackfeet,  who 
arrived  the  next  day,  and  told  him  that  they  had  scarcely 
left  when  a  large  herd  was  brought  into  the  pound. 

On  the  26th  of  September,  1810,  Henry  set  off  on 
horseback,  westward;  the  canoes,  of  course,  coming  up 
the  stream.  Their  destination  was  Rocky  Mountain 
House,  a  post  located  on  the  north  Saskatchewan  River, 
a  mile  and  a  half  above  the  mouth  of  Clearwater,  three 
miles  below  Pangman's  Tree,  so  named  from  the  fact 
that  Peter  Pangman  carved  an  inscription  on  it  when 
he  first  sighted  the  mountains  in  1790. 

On  the  way  up  the  stream  they  found  signs  of  beaver 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)         291 

extremely  abundant;  but  although  one  of  the  Indians 
set  traps  in  the  hope  of  taking  some,  the  winds  blew  the 
smoke  of  the  camp  toward  the  traps,  and  the  beaver  did 
not  leave  their  houses  that  night.  The  next  day,  how- 
ever, they  took  two,  the  signs  still  showing  the  presence 
of  great  quantities  of  beaver.  Ahead  of  Henry  was  a 
camp  of  Sarsi,  twenty-five  lodges,  which  had  just  left, 
for  at  their  camp  on  Medicine  Lodge  River,  a  branch  of 
the  Red  Deer;  the  fires  were  still  burning.  They  must 
have  made  a  good  hunt  here,  since  the  bones  of  beaver, 
bear,  moose,  elk  and  buffalo  lay  about  their  camp  in 
great  quantities.  That  afternoon  they  met  five  lodges 
of  Bloods  and  Sarsi,  with  whom  they  camped.  Game 
was  abundant,  and  Henry  notes  on  the  5th  the  appear- 
ance of  a  herd  of  strongwood  buffalo,  the  bison  of  the 
hills  and  mountains,  so  different  in  appearance  and 
some  of  their  habits  from  those  of  the  prairie.  Here, 
too,  were  seen  the  fresh  tracks  of  a  grizzly  bear,  measur- 
ing fourteen  inches  in  length. 

When  they  reached  the  fort  they  found  the  Piegans 
friendly  and  quiet,  but  suspicious  of  the  whites.  "  These 
Piegans  had  the  fresh  hide  of  a  bull  they  had  killed  at  the 
foot  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  This  was  really  a  curi- 
osity; the  hair  on  the  back  was  dirty  white,  and  the  long 
hair  under  the  throat  and  forelegs  iron-gray,  and  sides 
and  belly  were  yellow.  I  wished  to  purchase  it,  but 
the  owners  would  not  part  with  it  under  any  consider- 
ation." It  is  well  understood  that  white  buffalo,  or 
those  that  are  spotted,  or  indeed  of  any  unusual  color, 
are  very  highly  esteemed  by  the  tribes  of  the  plains. 


292  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

Henry  has  referred  to  this  before,  and  I  have  called 
attention  to  the  sacredness  of  the  white  buffalo's  hide 
among  the  Blackfeet,  Bloods,  and  Piegans,  and  among 
the  Cheyennes  further  to  the  south. 

It  was  now  an  active  time,  Bloods,  Piegans,  and 
Sarsi  coming  and  going,  bringing  in  some  beaver,  for 
which  they  received  tobacco,  rum,  and  trifles,  and 
occasionally  a  gift  of  clothing  to  some  man  who  had 
brought  in  an  especially  good  lot  of  beaver.  On  No- 
vember 4  the  traders  had  in  store  720  beaver,  33  grizzly 
bears,  20  buffalo  robes,  300  muskrats,  100  lynx — not  a 
bad  trade  for  the  season  of  the  year. 

November  9:  "I  rode  up  river  about  three  miles  to 
the  rising  ground  on  the  north  side,  where  Mr.  Pang- 
man  carved  his  name  on  the  pine  in  1790.  This  spot 
was  the  utmost  distant  of  discoveries  on  the  Saskat- 
chewan toward  the  Rocky  Mountains,  of  which,  indeed, 
we  had  a  tolerable  view  from  this  hill.  The  winding 
course  of  the  river  is  seen  until  it  enters  the  gap  of  the 
mountains,  a  little  east  of  which  appears  another  gap, 
through  which,  I  am  told,  flows  a  south  branch  that 
empties  into  the  Saskatchewan  some  miles  above  this 
place.  The  mountains  appear  at  no  great  distance,  all 
covered  with  snow;  while  we  have  none."  The  arrival 
this  day  of  an  express  from  below  brought  the  news  that 
an  act  of  Parliament  had  been  passed  prohibiting  the 
sale  of  spirituous  liquors  among  the  Indians. 

The  weather  was  now  cold,  the  river  occasionally 
choking  up  with  ice,  and  snow  fell.  The  canoes  were 
split  by  the  frost,  and  axes  broke  while  the  men  were 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)          293 

chopping  with  them.  Men  were  sent  out  to  get  dogs 
for  hauling,  and  as  soon  as  the  country  became  covered 
with  snow,  dog  trains  were  sent  down  to  lower  Terre 
Blanche  to  bring  up  goods.  Gros  Ventres  of  the 
Prairie  had  just  returned  with  sixty  horses,  stolen  from 
the  Flatheads,  and  others  had  gone  off  to  try  to  take 
more.  On  the  2/th  of  December,  "Our  hunter  had 
killed  a  large  grizzly  bear,  very  lean,  and,  as  usual 
with  them  in  that  state,  very  wicked;  he  narrowly  es- 
caped being  devoured.  They  seldom  den  for  the  winter, 
as  black  bears  do,  but  wander  about  in  search  of  prey." 
In  February  Henry  made  a  trip  to  the  Continental 
Divide,  to  where  the  waters  of  a  branch  of  the  Columbia 
rise  within  a  very  short  distance  of  the  Saskatchewan. 
He  was  obliged  to  tell  the  Piegans  that  he  was  going 
down  the  stream  instead  of  up.  Travel  was  by  dog 
sledge,  and  over  the  frozen  river,  in  which  there  were 
no  air  holes  to  be  seen.  On  the  way  up,  during  the  first 
day,  they  found  a  carcass  of  a  deer  that  had  been  killed 
by  wolves.  The  ice  was  of  great  thickness,  so  that  at 
night,  when  a  man  was  endeavoring  to  get  water  from 
the  stream,  he  was  obliged  to  cut  with  an  axe  for  an  hour 
before  it  flowed.  As  they  went  up  the  stream,  the 
banks  grew  higher  and  nearer  together,  and  at  one  point 
there  were  seen  tracks  of  animals  coming  down  the 
mountains  among  the  rocks.  "These  are  the  gray 
sheep  which  have  been  seen  about  this  place,  and  which 
delight  to  dwell  among  precipices  and  caverns,  where 
they  feed  on  a  peculiar  sort  of  clay."  The  reference  is 
evidently  to  a  "lick,"  a  place  where  a  mineral  spring  has 


294  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

given  a  saline  taste  to  the  earth  round  about.  Such  licks 
are  common  enough  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  many 
other  places,  and  are  regularly  visited  by  sheep,  which 
often  gnaw  away  the  earth  in  many  places  and  over  a 
considerable  space.  A  little  further  up  the  stream  they 
were  in  full  view  of  the  mountains.  The  river  being 
low,  flowed  through  numerous  channels,  some  of  which 
were  free  from  ice;  others  which  were  frozen,  had  water 
flowing  over  the  ice.  On  account  of  the  wind  there 
was  little  snow  on  the  gravel  bars,  and  the  hauling  was 
hard  for  the  dogs  and  bad  for  the  sleds. 

On  the  5th  he  overtook  his  people,  who  had  started 
several  days  earlier,  and  who  had  killed  three  sheep  and 
three  cows.  Here  Henry  stopped  for  a  day,  and  sent  off 
three  men  to  hunt  sheep,  wishing  to  obtain  the  entire 
skin  of  an  old  ram.  This  they  failed  to  secure,  but  one 
of  them  had  seen  the  tracks  of  a  white  goat.  The  next 
day,  keeping  on,  sheep  tracks  were  seen,  and  Henry 
indulges  in  reflections  on  the  wonderful  places  which 
they  passed  over,  and  their  sureness  of  foot.  The 
following  day,  "Shortly  after  leaving  camp,  we  saw  a 
herd  of  about  thirty  rams  feeding  among  the  rocks  on 
the  north  side.  They  did  not  seem  to  be  shy,  though  the 
noise  of  our  bells  and  dogs  was  sufficient  to  have  alarmed 
a  herd  of  buffalo  two  miles  off.  The  rams  stood  for 
some  time  gazing  at  us,  and  did  not  retreat  until  some 
people  with  dogs  climbed  up  to  fire  at  them,  when  they 
set  off  at  full  speed,  directing  their  course  up  the  moun- 
tain. I  was  astonished  to  see  with  what  agility  they 
scaled  the  cliffs  and  crags.  At  one  time  I  supposed 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)  295 

them  hemmed  in  by  rocks  so  steep  and  smooth  that  it 
seemed  impossible  for  any  animal  to  escape  being  dashed 
to  pieces  below,  but  the  whole  herd  passed  this  place  on 
a  narrow  horizontal  ledge,  without  a  single  misstep, 
and  were  soon  out  of  sight."  Here  Henry  seems  to 
have  seen  his  first  flock  of  dippers,  which  interested 
him  not  a  little;  and  on  the  ice  above  this  point  he  found 
the  remains  of  a  ram  which  had  been  run  down  by 
wolves  and  devoured. 

There  were  plenty  of  buffalo  on  Kutenai  Plains,  which 
they  now  reached,  but  they  killed  none,  a  hunter  firing 
at  a  sheep  having  driven  them  off.  Moose  and  elk  were 
plenty  here,  as  well  as  white-tailed  deer  and  grizzly 
bears;  and  here,  too,  were  seen  "white  partridges" — 
in  other  words,  white-tailed  ptarmigan.  Still  following 
up  the  river,  the  snow  grew  deeper  and  deeper,  so  that 
at  length  they  were  obliged  to  take  to  snow-shoes,  and  to 
beat  a  path  for  their  dogs.  On  the  Qth  of  February  they 
reached  the  Continental  Divide,  and  passing  through 
thick  forest  came  to  a  small  opening  where  three  streams 
of  Columbian  waters  join.  The  brook  thus  formed  is 
Blueberry  Creek,  which  runs  into  the  Columbia.  That 
morning,  when  leaving  camp,  in  the  Kutenai  Park,  a 
place  where  the  Kutenais  used  to  drive  buffalo  over 
the  cliff,  Henry  had  left  his  hunter,  Desjarlaix,  behind, 
telling  him  to  try  to  kill  a  white  goat.  Shortly  after 
his  return  to  the  camp,  his  hunter  came  in  and  told 
Henry  that  he  had  seen  large  white  goats  on  the  moun- 
tain, directly  off  Kutenai  Park,  where  he  had  been  trying 
since  daybreak  to  get  a  shot  at  them.  "He  was  almost 


296  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

exhausted,  the  snow  being  up  to  his  middle,  and  the 
ground  so  steep  as  not  to  admit  of  snow-shoes.  He  had 
worked  about  a  quarter  of  the  way  up  the  mountain, 
but  had  been  obliged  to  abandon  the  attempt  to  reach 
the  animals.  They  did  not  appear  the  least  shy,  but 
stood  gazing  at  him,  and  cropping  the  stunted  shrubs 
and  blades  of  long  grass  which  grew  in  crevices  in 
places  where  the  wind  had  blown  the  snow  off.  As  I 
desired  to  obtain  the  skin  of  one  of  those  animals,  I 
gave  him  dry  mittens  and  trousers  to  put  on,  went  with 
him  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  and  I  pointed  out  a 
place  where  I  supposed  it  was  possible  to  reach  them. 
We  could  perceive  all  three,  still  standing  abreast  on 
the  edge  of  a  precipice,  looking  down  upon  us,  but  they 
were  at  a  great  height.  He  once  more  undertook  the 
arduous  task  of  climbing  up  in  pursuit  of  them,  while  I 
returned  to  the  camp.  A  hunter  in  these  mountains 
requires  many  pairs  of  shoes  (i.  e.,  moccasins),  the  rocks 
are  so  rough  and  sharp  that  a  pair  of  good  strong  moose- 
leather  shoes  are  soon  torn  to  pieces.  The  white  goat 
is  [not]  larger  than  the  gray  sheep,  thickly  covered  with 
long,  pure  white  wool,  and  has  short  black,  nearly 
erect  horns.  These  animals  seldom  leave  the  moun- 
tain tops;  winter  or  summer  they  prefer  the  highest 
regions.  Late  in  the  evening  my  hunter  returned,  ex- 
hausted, and  covered  with  ice,  having  labored  in  the 
snow  till  his  clothes  became  all  wet,  and  soon  after  stiff 
with  ice.  He  had  ascended  half  way  when  the  sun  set, 
which  obliged  him  to  return.  " 

The  next  day  Henry  wished  to  send  his  hunter  out 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)          297 

again,  but  the  poor  fellow  was  so  done  up  and  his  legs  so 
swollen  by  the  exercise  of  the  day  before  that  the  effort 
was  given  up.  They  therefore  started  down  the  river, 
past  the  camp  of  the  day  before,  where  they  found  that 
the  men  had  killed  sheep,  buffalo,  a  large  black  wolf, 
and  a  Canada  lynx.  The  following  day  they  saw  a  herd 
of  rams  on  the  rocks,  and  tried  to  get  a  shot,  "but  one  of 
our  men,  being  some  distance  ahead,  and  not  observing 
them,  continued  to  drive  on,  which  alarmed  and  drove 
them  up  into  the  mountains.  I  regretted  this  very 
much  as  the  herd  consisted  of  old  rams  with  enormous 
horns;  one  of  them  appeared  to  be  very  lean,  with 
extraordinarily  heavy  horns,  whose  weight  he  seemed 
scarcely  able  to  support.  When  the  horns  grow  to 
such  great  length,  forming  a  complete  curve,  the  ends 
project  on  both  sides  of  the  head  so  as  to  prevent  the 
animal  from  feeding,  which,  with  their  great  weight, 
causes  the  sheep  to  dwindle  to  a  mere  skeleton  and  die. 
We  soon  afterward  saw  a  herd  of  buffalo  on  the  hills 
near  the  river,  but  on  hearing  the  sound  of  the  bells  they 
ran  away,  and  appeared  much  more  shy  than  sheep." 
Continuing  down  the  river,  they  reached  the  fort, 
February  13. 

Henry  finished  the  winter  at  Rocky  Mountain  House, 
and  in  May,  1811,  started  down  the  river  to  Fort 
Augustus. 

There  is  now  a  long  break,  extending  over  two  years, 
in  Henry's  journal,  the  third  part,  as  Dr.  Coues  has 
divided  it,  being  devoted  to  the  Columbia.  November 
15,  1813,  finds  him  at  Astoria,  the  scene  of  so  many 


298  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

trials  of  fur  traders,  and  the  place  about  which  so  many 
books  have  been  written.  The  journal  for  the  two  in- 
tervening years  has  not  been  discovered.  It  may  yet 
turn  up  and,  if  it  shall,  will  undoubtedly  give  us  much 
interesting  information.  What  we  know  is  that  Henry 
came  to  Astoria  from  Fort  William,  but  how  he  got  there 
we  do  not  know.  His  party  came,  however,  in  bark 
canoes,  for  a  contemporary  writer  says  as  much  as  that. 
Not  only  was  Henry  here  on  the  west  coast,  but  his 
nephew,  William  Henry,  who  had  been  frequently  as- 
sociated with  him  in  past  years,  even  back  on  the 
Pembina  River. 

The  character  of  the  Indians  here  interested  Henry, 
and  he  makes  his  usual  frank  and  not  always  elegant 
comments  on  them.  On  November  30  the  British 
ship  "Raccoon"  reached  Astoria,  captured  the  place, 
and  thereafter  it  was  a  British  trading-post,  under  the 
name  Fort  George.  Duncan  McDougal,  the  chief 
factor,  had  left  the  Northwest  Company  to  enter  Mr. 
Astor's  service,  in  1810,  but  without  any  particular 
hesitation  he  surrendered  to  the  British  ship,  although 
the  Indians  were  only  too  anxious  to  defend  the  place 
for  the  Americans,  and  to  assist  the  white  men  in  hold- 
ing it.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  most  of  the  em- 
ployees of  Mr.  Astor  were  British  subjects,  and  were 
very  glad  to  have  the  place  taken. 

Much  time  was  expended  on  the  final  settlement  of 
the  accounts  between  McDougal,  who  had  been  Mr. 
Astor's  representative  at  Astoria,  and  the  representatives 
of  the  Northwest  Company,  who  were  now  in  possession; 


Alexander  Henry  (the  Younger)          299 

but  at  last  this  was  all  finished,  and  on  December  31 
the  "Raccoon"  made  sail,  and  disappeared  behind 
Point  Adams. 

Rains  were  constant,  and  the  fur  traders  and  their 
property  suffered  much  from  wet  and  dampness.  With 
this  spring,  Henry  for  the  first  time  seems  to  have  seen 
the  Indians  catching  smelts  and  herrings,  and  de- 
scribes the  well-known  rake  used  on  the  western  coast: 
"They  had  a  pole  about  ten  feet  long  and  two  inches 
thick,  on  one  side  of  which  was  fixed  a  range  of  small 
sharp  bones,  like  teeth,  about  one  inch  long,  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  asunder,  the  range  of  teeth  ascending  six 
feet  up  the  blade.  This  instrument  is  used  in  smelt 
fishery."  As  is  well  known,  the  Indians  sweep  this 
instrument  through  the  water  in  places  where  the  small 
fish  are  schooled,  and  at  each  sweep  of  the  rake  from 
one  to  half  dozen  fish  are  impaled,  when  the  imple- 
ment being  brought  to  the  surface  and  held  over  the 
canoe,  the  fish  are  jarred  from  it  into  the  vessel.  On 
the  28th  of  February  a  ship,  the  "  Pedler,"  brought  Mr. 
Hunt,  who  was  second  to  Mr.  Astor  in  the  management 
of  the  Pacific  Fur  Company,  and  headed  the  original 
overland  Astor  expedition  in  1810-1812. 

There  was  now  a  gathering  of  all  the  partners  and 
those  interested  in  the  Northwest  Company  and  the 
Pacific  Fur  Company  for  a  settling  of  accounts  between 
Hunt  and  McDougal.  The  "Pedler"  got  under  way 
April  2.  On  April  4  a  brigade  of  ten  canoes  set  off  up 
the  river.  This  left  a  small  contingent  at  Fort  George, 
and  this  contingent  very  ill  provided.  They  had  a  little 
spoiled  California  beef  and  a  little  bad  grease.  In 


300  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

addition  they  had  only  the  smelts  caught  by  the  Indians 
and  these  were  often  spoiled,  so  that  the  men  refused 
to  eat  them,  and  the  little  provision  that  they  could 
buy  from  the  Indians,  a  few  beaver,  deer,  and  elk — 
called  biche  by  Henry.  As  a  result  many  of  the  men 
were  ill,  and  fourteen  were  in  hospital  at  one  time.  To 
help  out  the  lack  of  sugar  or  molasses,  they  experi- 
mented in  making  a  decoction  of  camas  root,  which 
produces  a  kind  of  syrup,  preferable  to  molasses  for 
sweetening  coffee.  Among  the  skins  brought  in  by  the 
Indians  were  occasionally  those  of  tame  cats,  which 
Henry  conjectures  to  be  the  offspring  of  cats  lost  from 
Spanish  ships  that  had  been  cast  ashore. 

April  22  a  ship  was  seen,  which  proved  to  be  the 
"Isaac  Todd,"  on  which  came  Mr.  J.  C.  McTavish, 
who  was  to  take  charge  of  Fort  George  as  governor. 
Work  went  on;  loading  and  unloading  the  ship,  buying 
provisions,  the  annoyances  of  small  quarrels  between 
various  people.  The  entry  in  Henry's  diary  of  May 
21,  1814,  is  partly  finished,  and  then  ends  with  a  dash; 
for  on  Sunday,  May  22,  Alexander  Henry,  Donald 
McTavish,  and  five  sailors  were  drowned  while  going 
out  to  the  ship. 

So  perished  Alexander  Henry,  the  younger,  after 
twenty-two  years  of  adventure,  extending  from  the 
Great  Lakes  to  the  Pacific,  and  from  the  Missouri  River 
north  to  Lake  Athabasca.  It  may  fairly  be  said  of  all 
the  books  that  have  been  written  by  the  early  travellers 
and  traders  in  America  this  is  the  most  interesting  and 
the  most  curious. 


CHAPTER  XIX 
ROSS  COX 


ON  the  I yth  of  October,  1811,  the  ship  "Beaver," 
Captain  Cornelius  Sowles,  sailed  from  New  York 
for  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River.  She 
carried  one  partner,  six  clerks,  and  a  number  of  artisans 
and  voyageurs,  of  the  Pacific  Fur  Company,  an  associa- 
tion of  which  John  Jacob  Astor  was  the  chief  proprietor. 
Among  the  clerks  on  this  ship  was  Ross  Cox,  who, 
some  years  later,  published  a  work  in  two  volumes, 
called  The  Columbia  River,  or  Scenes  and  Adventures 
During  a  Residence  of  Six  Tears  on  the  Western  Side 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains  among  Various  Tribes  of  In- 
dians Hitherto  Unknown,  Together  with  a  Journey 
Across  the  American  Continent. 

Cox  was  a  British  subject,  but,  like  many  of  his  com- 
patriots, was  eager  to  secure  an  appointment  in  Mr. 
Astor's  company,  for  he  was  captivated  by  the  love 
of  novelty,  and  by  the  hope  of  speedily  realizing  an 
independence  in  the  new  country  that  was  being  opened. 
'  It  will  be  remembered  that,  for  about  a  hundred 
years  after  its  charter  had  been  granted,  the  Hudson's 

301 


302  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

Bay  Company  made  little  effort  to  extend  into  the 
interior  the  trading-posts  which  it,  alone,  had  the  privi- 
lege of  establishing  on  the  shores  of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  and  its  tributary  rivers.  True,  trading-posts  had 
been  established  in  the  interior,  but  chiefly  by  the 
French  traders,  who  had  practically  possessed  the  coun- 
try until  the  close  of  the  French  and  Indian  War. 
Then  came  the  founding  of  the  Northwest  Fur  Company 
of  Canada,  before  long  a  formidable  rival  to  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company.  It  was  conducted  on  the  wiser  plan 
of  giving  each  one  of  its  employees  the  chance  to  rise  and 
become  a  partner,  provided  only  his  success  justified 
the  promotion.  The  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  on  the 
other  hand,  hired  its  men  and  paid  them  regularly,  but 
offered  no  inducements  to  extra  exertion  on  the  part 
of  its  officers.  The  result  could  not  be  doubtful;  the 
new  company  pressed  the  old  one  hard;  and  consoli- 
dation at  length  took  place  between  the  two. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  last  century,  John  Jacob 
Astor,  whose  fur  trade  with  the  interior  had  not  been 
altogether  satisfactory,  determined  to  explore  the  north- 
west coast,  and  proposed  to  the  Northwest  Company 
to  join  him  in  establishing  a  trading-post  on  the  Colum- 
bia River.  The  proposition  was  declined.  Neverthe- 
less, in  1809,  Astor  formed  the  Pacific  Fur  Company, 
and  needing  able  and  experienced  traders,  he  induced 
a  number  of  men  connected  with  the  Northwest  Com- 
pany to  leave  that  establishment  and  join  him.  Among 
these  were  Alexander  M'Kay,  who  had  been  a  com- 
panion of  Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie  in  earlier  days. 


<  ^ 


<    $ 

1 


Ross  Cox  303 


Astor's  plan  was  to  establish  posts  on  the  north- 
west coast,  to  which  each  year  a  vessel  should  carry 
goods  for  the  Indian  trade,  and  having  discharged  her 
cargo  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River,  should  take 
on  board  the  furs  of  the  year's  trade,  and  thence  proceed 
to  China;  selling  her  furs  there,  she  should  load  with 
the  products  of  that  country  and  return  to  New  York. 

The  first  vessel  fitted  out  by  the  Pacific  Fur  Company 
was  the  ill-fated  "Tonquin,"  commanded  by  Captain 
Jonathan  Thorn.  She  sailed  from  New  York  in  1810, 
with  a  number  of  partners,  clerks,  and  artisans,  and 
with  a  large  cargo  of  goods  for  the  Indian  trade;  and 
about  the  same  time  a  party  under  W.  P.  Hunt  and 
Donald  Mackenzie  left  St.  Louis  to  cross  the  continent 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia. 

The  "Beaver"  was  the  next  of  these  annual  ships  to 
sail.  She  rounded  the  Horn,  and  touched  at  the  Sand- 
wich Islands,  where  a  number  of  the  natives  were 
shipped  as  laborers  for  the  post,  and  on  the  8th  of 
May  the  ship's  company  found  themselves  opposite  the 
mouth  of  the  Columbia  River.  They  crossed  the  bar 
without  accident  and,  after  a  voyage  of  six  months 
and  twenty-two  days,  cast  anchor  in  Baker's  Bay. 

The  accounts  which  they  received  from  their  friends 
at  Astoria  were  very  discouraging.  There  had  been 
frequent  quarrels  between  the  captain  of  the  "Tonquin" 
and  his  passengers.  The  captain  was  a  man  of  great 
daring,  but  harsh  and  arbitrary  in  manner,  and  very 
ready  to  quarrel  with  his  British  passengers.  His  ob- 
stinacy resulted  in  the  loss  of  several  men  at  the  mouth 


304  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

of  the  Columbia;  and  the  chief  mate  of  the  vessel,  in 
consequence  of  a  dispute  with  the  captain,  left  her,  and 
obtained  an  assignment  to  command  a  little  schooner 
built  by  the  company.  The  "Tonquin,"  with  M'Kay 
and  Lewis,  one  of  the  clerks  on  board,  dropped  down  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  and  proceeded  northward, 
to  go  as  far  as  Cooke's  River,  on  a  trading  excursion. 

In  the  meantime,  the  overland  parties,  under  the 
command  of  Mackenzie,  M'Lellan,  Hunt,  and  Crooks, 
after  great  suffering,  reached  the  fort. 

The  fate  of  the  "Tonquin"  was  learned  in  the  month 
of  August,  1811,  from  a  party  of  Indians  from  Gray's 
Harbor.  They  came  to  the  Columbia  for  fishing,  and 
told  the  Chinooks  that  the  "Tonquin"  had  been  cutoff 
by  one  of  the  northern  tribes,  and  every  soul  mas- 
sacred. This  is  what  seems  to  have  happened.  The 
"Tonquin,"  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  of  Nootka, 
cast  anchor,  and  M'Kay  began  to  trade  with  the  natives, 
who  were  perfectly  willing  to  part  with  their  furs.  One 
of  the  principal  men,  however,  having  been  detected 
in  some  small  theft,  was  struck  by  the  captain,  and  in 
revenge  the  Indians  formed  a  conspiracy  to  take  posses- 
sion of  the  vessel.  The  interpreter  learned  of  this, 
and  told  M'Kay,  who  warned  the  captain  of  the  in- 
tended attack;  but  he  only  laughed  at  the  information, 
and  made  no  preparations  for  it.  The  Indians  con- 
tinued to  visit  the  ship,  and  without  arms.  The  day 
before  the  vessel  was  to  leave,  two  large  canoes,  each 
containing  about  twenty  men,  appeared  alongside. 
They  had  some  furs  in  their  canoes  and  were  allowed 


Ross  Cox  305 


to  come  on  board.  Soon  three  more  canoes  followed; 
and  the  officers  of  the  watch,  seeing  that  a  number  of 
others  were  leaving  the  shore,  warned  Captain  Thorn 
of  the  circumstances.  He  immediately  came  on  the 
quarter-deck,  accompanied  by  Mr.  M'Kay  and  the 
interpreter.  The  latter,  on  observing  that  they  all 
wore  short  cloaks  or  mantles  of  skin,  which  was  by  no 
means  a  general  custom,  at  once  knew  their  designs 
were  hostile  and  told  Mr.  M'Kay  of  his  suspicions. 
That  gentleman  immediately  apprised  Captain  Thorn  of 
the  circumstances,  and  begged  him  to  lose  no  time  in 
clearing  the  ship  of  intruders.  This  caution  was,  how- 
ever, treated  with  contempt  by  the  captain,  who  re- 
marked, that  with  the  arms  they  had  on  board  they 
would  be  more  than  a  match  for  three  times  the  number. 
The  sailors  in  the  meantime  had  all  come  on  the  deck, 
which  was  crowded  with  Indians,  who  completely 
blocked  up  the  passages,  and  obstructed  the  men  in  the 
performance  of  their  various  duties.  The  captain  re- 
quested them  to  retire,  to  which  they  paid  no  attention. 
He  then  told  them  he  was  about  going  to  sea,  and  had 
given  orders  to  the  men  to  raise  the  anchor;  that  he 
hoped  they  would  go  away  quietly;  but  if  they  refused, 
he  should  be  compelled  to  force  their  departure.  He 
had  scarcely  finished  when,  at  a  signal  given  by  one  of 
the  chiefs,  a  loud  and  frightful  yell  was  heard  from  the 
assembled  savages,  who  commenced  a  sudden  and  si- 
multaneous attack  on  the  officers  and  crew  with  knives, 
bludgeons,  and  short  sabres  which  they  had  concealed 
under  their  robes. 


306  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

"M'Kay  was  one  of  the  first  attacked.  One  Indian 
gave  him  a  severe  blow  with  a  bludgeon,  which  par- 
tially stunned  him;  upon  which  he  was  seized  by  five 
or  six  others,  who  threw  him  overboard  into  a  canoe 
alongside,  where  he  quickly  recovered  and  was  allowed 
to  remain  for  some  time  uninjured. 

"Captain  Thorn  made  an  ineffectual  attempt  to  reach 
the  cabin  for  his  firearms,  but  was  overpowered  by 
numbers.  His  only  weapon  was  a  jack-knife,  with 
which  he  killed  four  of  his  savage  assailants  by  ripping 
up  their  bellies,  and  mutilated  several  others.  Covered 
with  wounds,  and  exhausted  from  the  loss  of  blood,  he 
rested  himself  for  a  moment  by  leaning  on  the  tiller 
wheel,  when  he  received  a  dreadful  blow  from  a  weapon 
called  a  pautumaugan,  on  the  back  part  of  the  head, 
which  felled  him  to  the  deck.  The  death-dealing  knife 
fell  from  his  hand,  and  his  savage  butchers,  after  ex- 
tinguishing the  few  sparks  of  life  that  still  remained, 
threw  his  mangled  body  overboard. 

"On  seeing  the  captain's  fate,  our  informant,  who 
was  close  to  him,  and  who  had  hitherto  escaped  un- 
injured, jumped  into  the  water  and  was  taken  into  a 
canoe  by  some  women,  who  partially  covered  his  body 
with  mats.  He  states  that  the  original  intention  of 
the  enemy  was  to  detain  Mr.  M'Kay  a  prisoner,  and 
after  securing  the  vessel  to  give  him  his  liberty,  on 
obtaining  a  ransom  from  Astoria.  But  on  finding  the 
resistance  made  by  the  captain  and  crew,  the  former  of 
whom  had  killed  one  of  their  principal  chiefs,  their 
love  of  gain  gave  way  to  revenge,  and  they  resolved  to 


Ross  Cox  307 


destroy  him.  The  last  time  the  ill-fated  gentleman 
was  seen,  his  head  was  hanging  over  the  side  of  a  canoe, 
and  three  savages,  armed  with  pautumaugans,  were 
battering  out  his  brains. 

"In  the  meantime  the  devoted  crew,  who  had  main- 
tained the  unequal  conflict  with  unparalleled  bravery, 
became  gradually  overpowered.  Three  of  them,  John 
Anderson,  the  boatswain;  John  Weekes,  the  carpenter; 
[and]  Stephen  Weekes,  who  had  narrowly  escaped  at  the 
Columbia,  succeeded  after  a  desperate  struggle  in  gain- 
ing possession  of  the  cabin,  the  entrance  to  which  was 
securely  fastened  inside.  The  Indians  now  became 
more  cautious,  for  they  well  knew  there  were  plenty 
of  firearms  below;  and  they  had  already  experienced 
enough  of  the  prowess  of  the  three  men  while  on  deck, 
and  armed  only  with  hand-spikes,  to  dread  approaching 
them  while  they  had  more  mortal  weapons  at  their 
command. 

"Anderson  and  his  two  companions  seeing  their  com- 
mander and  the  crew  dead  and  dying  about  them,  and 
that  no  hope  of  escape  remained,  and  feeling,  moreover, 
the  uselessness  of  any  further  opposition,  determined 
on  taking  a  terrible  revenge.  Two  of  them,  therefore, 
set  about  laying  a  train  to  the  powder  magazine,  while 
the  third  addressed  some  Indians  from  the  windows, 
who  were  in  canoes,  and  gave  them  to  understand  that 
if  they  were  permitted  to  depart  unmolested  in  one  of 
the  ship's  boats  they  would  give  them  quiet  possession 
of  the  vessel  without  firing  a  shot;  stipulating,  how- 
ever, that  no  canoe  should  remain  near  them  while 


308  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

getting  into  the  boat.  The  anxiety  of  the  barbarians 
to  obtain  possession  of  the  plunder,  and  their  disin- 
clination to  risk  any  more  lives,  induced  them  to  em- 
brace this  proposition  with  eagerness,  and  the  pinnace 
was  immediately  brought  astern.  The  three  heroes 
having  by  this  time  perfected  their  dreadful  arrange- 
ments, and  ascertained  that  no  Indian  was  watching 
them,  gradually  lowered  themselves  from  the  cabin 
windows  into  the  boat;  and  having  fired  the  train, 
quickly  pushed  off  toward  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  no 
obstacle  being  interposed  to  prevent  their  departure. 

"Hundreds  of  the  enemy  now  rushed  on  deck  to 
seize  the  long-expected  prize,  shouting  yells  of  victory; 
but  their  triumph  was  of  short  duration.  Just  as  they 
had  burst  open  the  cabin  door,  an  explosion  took  place, 
which,  in  an  instant,  hurled  upward  of  two  hundred 
savages  into  eternity,  and  dreadfully  injured  as  many 
more.  The  interpreter,  who  had  by  this  time  reached 
land,  states  he  saw  many  mutilated  bodies  floating  near 
the  beach,  while  heads,  arms  and  legs,  together  with 
fragments  of  the  ship,  were  thrown  to  a  considerable 
distance  on  the  shore. 

"The  first  impression  of  the  survivors  was,  that  the 
Master  of  Life  had  sent  forth  the  Evil  Spirit  from  the 
waters  to  punish  them  for  their  cruelty  to  the  white 
people.  This  belief,  joined  to  the  consternation  occa- 
sioned by  the  shock,  and  the  reproaches  and  lamenta- 
tions of  the  wives  and  other  relatives  of  the  sufferers, 
paralyzed  for  a  time  the  exertions  of  the  savages  and 
favored  the  attempt  of  Anderson  and  his  brave  com- 


Ross  Cox  309 


rades  to  escape.  They  rowed  hard  for  the  mouth  of 
the  harbor  with  the  intention,  as  is  supposed,  of  coast- 
ing along  the  shore  to  the  Columbia;  but  after  passing 
the  bar,  a  head-wind  and  flowing  tide  drove  them  back 
and  compelled  them  to  land  late  at  night  in  a  small  cove, 
where  they  fancied  themselves  free  from  danger,  and 
where,  weak  from  the  loss  of  blood  and  the  harassing 
exertions  of  the  day,  they  fell  into  a  profound  sleep." 
Here  they  were  captured,  and  a  little  later  killed. 

Such  is  Cox's  account  of  the  destruction  of  the 
"Tonquin,"  obtained,  we  may  presume,  from  the  in- 
terpreter. Other  accounts  of  the  same  event  agree  with 
it  in  its  main  facts,  though  there  is  some  question  as 
to  who  it  was  who  blew  up  the  ship,  some  narrators 
believing  that  it  was  Stephen  Weekes,  while  others 
think  that  it  was  Lewis,  the  clerk. 

As  if  the  spirits  of  the  newly  arrived  traders  had  not 
been  sufficiently  damped  by  the  story  of  the  "Ton- 
quin," an  added  misfortune  followed  the  next  day. 
This  was  the  return  of  one  of  the  parties  that  had 
started  overland,  some  to  trade,  others  to  carry  de- 
spatches to  the  east.  These  men  had  been  driven  back 
by  an  encounter  with  Indians,  and  after  great  difficul- 
ties and  much  suffering,  reached  the  post  again. 

On  the  a8th  of  June,  1812,  a  party  of  nearly  a  hun- 
dred men,  well  supplied  with  trade  goods,  started  in 
canoes  up  the  Columbia.  They  went  well  prepared  to 
meet  the  Indians,  each  man  carrying  a  musket  and  forty 
rounds  of  ball  cartridges,  and  each  also  wearing  leathern 
armor,  "  a  kind  of  shirt  made  out  of  the  skin  of  the 


310  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

elk,  which  reached  from  the  neck  to  the  knees.  It  was 
perfectly  arrow-proof,  and  at  eighty  or  ninety  yards 
impenetrable  by  a  musket  bullet.  Besides  the  muskets, 
numbers  had  daggers,  short  swords,  and  pistols;  and 
when  armed  cap-a-pie  we  presented  a  formidable  ap- 
pearance." Metal  armor,  of  course,  was  unknown  to 
the  Indians,  but  shields  and  body  armor  were  common 
to  many  tribes.  This  was  of  several  kinds,  sometimes 
made  of  rows  of  overlapping  plates  of  ivory  or  bone, 
of  wood  in  the  form  of  slats  or  rods,  held  in  place  by 
hide,  or  of  coats,  helmets,  and  §o  on,  of  hardened  hide. 
Between  1840  and  1850  trappers  on  the  prairie  some- 
times hung  about  their  necks,  to  protect  the  front  of 
their  bodies,  the  hides  of  mule-deer  dressed  with  the 
hair  on.  These  skins,  when  wet,  would  stop  an  arrow. 
After  the  coming  of  the  white  men,  a  few  suits,  or  por- 
tions of  suits,  of  armor  came  into  possession  of  one  or 
more  of  the  plains  tribes,  were  highly  valued  by  them, 
used  for  a  long  time,  and  gave  origin  to  a  personal 
name  now  common  among  the  plains  tribes — Iron  Shirt. 

At  the  portage  every  precaution  was  taken  to  guard 
against  surprises.  Five  officers  were  stationed  at  each 
end  of  the  portage,  and  several  others,  with  twenty- 
five  men,  were  scattered  along  it  at  short  distances 
from  one  another.  This  was  especially  necessary  at 
the  foot  of  the  first  rapids,  where  the  portage  was  three 
or  four  miles  long,  the  path  narrow  and  dangerous,  and 
in  some  places  obstructed. 

The  ascent  of  the  river,  over  falls  and  rapids,  was 
very  laborious.  The  boats  had  to  be  dragged  up  part 


Ross  Cox  311 


of  the  way,  and  the  labor  was  hard  and  long-continued. 
A  little  negligence  by  some  of  the  men  who  were  at  the 
upper  end  of  the  portage  resulted  in  a  small  trouble,  for, 
while  they  wandered  a  short  distance  from  the  goods, 
two  Indians  endeavored  to  carry  off  an  entire  bale. 
It  was  too  heavy  for  them,  and  they  were  about  to  open 
and  carry  away  the  contents,  when  two  men,  carrying 
burdens,  arrived  and  gave  the  alarm.  The  Indians 
attacked  the  men,  but  the  disturbance  called  back  the 
officers,  and  the  Indians  fled.  "A  shot  was  fired  at 
them  by  our  best  marksman,  who  was  told  merely  to 
wing  one,  which  he  did  with  great  skill,  by  breaking  his 
left  arm,  at  upward  of  a  hundred  yards  distance.  The 
fellow  gave  a  dreadful  shout  on  receiving  the  ball,  but 
still  continued  his  flight  with  his  comrade,  until  we  lost 
sight  of  them." 

Keeping  on  up  the  rapids,  they  saw  other  Indians, 
some  of  whom  were  on  horseback,  and  much  more  at- 
tractive to  the  eye  than  the  canoe  Indians  seen  farther 
down  the  river.  From  the  fishing  Indians  they  pur- 
chased salmon  in  considerable  numbers. 

Before  this  they  had  reached  the  high,  volcanic,  tree- 
less country,  and  had  found  rattlesnakes;  and  here 
an  odd  incident  happened  to  one  of  the  men,  named 
]La  Course,  which  might  have  been  fatal.  Cox  says: 
"This  man  had  stretched  himself  on  the  ground,  after 
the  fatigue  of  the  day,  with  his  head  resting  on  a  small 
package  of  goods,  and  quickly  fell  asleep.  While  in 
this  situation  I  passed  him,  and  was  almost  petrified  at 
seeing  a  large  rattlesnake  moving  from  his  side  to  his 


312  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

left  breast.  My  first  impulse  was  to  alarm  La  Course; 
but  an  old  Canadian  whom  I  had  beckoned  to  the  spot 
requested  me  to  make  no  noise,  alleging  it  would  merely 
cross  the  body  and  go  away.  He  was  mistaken,  for  on 
reaching  the  man's  shoulder,  the  serpent  deliberately 
coiled  itself,  but  did  not  appear  to  meditate  an  attack. 
Having  made  signs  to  several  others,  who  joined  us,  I 
was  determined  that  two  men  should  advance  a  little 
in  front  to  divert  the  attention  of  the  snake,  while  one 
should  approach  La  Course  behind,  and  with  a  long 
stick  endeavor  to  remove  it  from  his  body.  The  snake, 
on  observing  the  men  advance  in  front,  instantly  raised 
its  head,  darted  out  its  forked  tongue,  and  shook  its 
rattles;  all  indications  of  anger.  Every  one  was  now 
in  a  state  of  feverish  agitation  as  to  the  fate  of  poor  La 
Course,  who  still  lay  slumbering,  unconscious  of  his 
danger;  when  the  man  behind,  who  had  procured  a 
stick  seven  feet  in  length,  suddenly  placed  one  end  of 
it  under  the  coiled  reptile,  and  succeeded  in  pitching 
it  upwards  of  ten  feet  from  the  man's  body.  A  shout 
of  joy  was  the  first  intimation  La  Course  received  of  his 
wonderful  escape,  while  in  the  meantime  the  man  with 
the  stick  pursued  the  snake,  which  he  killed.  It  was 
three  feet  six  inches  long." 

Toward  the  end  of  July  the  party  camped  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Walla  Walla  River,  and  met  a  number  of 
Indians  of  that  tribe.  Twenty  horses  were  purchased 
for  Robert  Stewart's  party,  and  its  eleven  members 
left  the  next  day  for  St.  Louis.  The  Walla  Wallas 
were  kind  and  gentle,  yet  dignified;  as  were  also  the 


Ross  Cox  313 


Indians  of  the  Pierced-Nose  tribe,  then  called  by  the 
French  Les  Nez  Perces,  a  name  which  they  still  retain. 
Their  houses  were  large;  some  square,  others  oblong, 
and  some  conical;  they  were  covered  with  mats  fixed 
on  poles,  and  varied  from  twenty  to  seventy  feet  in 
length.  These  people  seemed  well  to  do,  and  owned 
many  horses,  twenty-five  of  which  the  traders  bought; 
and  from  this  time  on  some  of  them  proceeded  by  land, 
while  the  others  dragged,  paddled,  or  poled  the  canoes 
up  the  stream.  It  was  at  a  Pierced-Nose  village,  at  no 
very  great  distance  from  the  Columbia,  on  Lewis  River, 
that  the  party  left  their  boats  and  canoes,  cacheing  them 
in  the  willow  brush,  and  leaving  them  in  charge  of  the 
chief.  Here  they  secured  about  fifty  horses  for  pack 
animals,  and  a  few  for  riding,  but  not  nearly  enough  to 
give  a  horse  to  each  man.  Travelling  along  up  the 
stream,  the  thirty-two  men  who  were  in  Cox's  company 
started  for  the  country  of  the  Spokanes.  They  had  the 
usual  incidents  of  travel — trouble  with  pack-horses, 
lack  of  grass  for  their  animals,  often  lack  of  water  for 
themselves;  but  before  they  had  gone  very  far  an  ad- 
venture happened  to  the  author  which  made  it  impos- 
sible for  him  to  chronicle  the  doings  of  his  party. 

On  the  iyth  of  August  they  stopped  for  noon,  and 
turned  their  horses  out  to  graze  in  very  good  feed. 
Cox  went  apart  some  distance,  and  after  feasting  on 
the  fruit  that  grew  here,  lay  down  and  went  to  sleep. 
When  he  awoke,  the  sun  was  low  and  no  sound  was  to 
be  heard.  His  companions  had  vanished.  It  after- 
ward appeared  that  they  had  started  in  three  sections, 


314  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

at  a  little  distance  from  one  another,  and  that  each 
division  of  the  command  supposed  Cox  to  be  with  one 
of  the  other  divisions.  It  was  not  until  toward  night 
that  his  absence  was  discovered;  and  in  the  meantime 
he  had  awakened  and  set  off  in  pursuit  of  the  party, 
but  soon  lost  the  trail.  He  was  lightly  clad  in  a  shirt 
and  pair  of  cotton  trousers  and  moccasins.  He  had 
no  arms,  no  knife,  no  means  of  making  a  fire.  The 
first  night  out  he  plucked  a  quantity  of  grass,  covered 
himself  with  that,  and  slept  through  the  night.  On 
the  following  day  he  journeyed  eastward,  and  late  in 
the  evening  saw,  only  a  mile  from  him,  two  horsemen 
rapidly  riding  to  the  east.  They  were  near  enough  so 
that  he  could  see  that  they  belonged  to  his  party.  He 
raced  after  them,  shouted,  waved  his  shirt,  and  did 
everything  possible  to  attract  their  attention,  but  they 
did  not  see  him.  By  this  time  his  moccasins  had 
absolutely  gone  to  pieces,  and  this  night  the  labor  of 
pulling  the  grass  cut  his  hands.  It  was  two  days  since 
he  had  eaten.  Birds  and  deer  were  numerous,  and 
close  to  him  fish  were  seen  in  the  waters,  but  he  could 
not  catch  them.  That  night,  however,  he  found  an 
abundant  supply  of  cherries,  which  gave  him  a  hearty 
supper;  but  the  howling  of  wolves  and  " growling  of 
bears"  kept  him  awake  much  of  the  night.  The  fol- 
lowing day  he  looked  for  horse  tracks,  and  at  night  re- 
turned to  the  place  where  he  had  slept  before.  His 
feet  were  now  so  much  lacerated  by  prickly-pears  and 
the  stones  over  which  he  had  walked,  that  he  was 
obliged  to  make  bandages  for  them  from  the  legs  of  his 


Ross  Cox  315 


trousers.  His  fear  of  wolves  and  bears  grew;  and  per- 
haps the  man's  weak  condition  tempted  the  animals, 
for  he  tells  us  that  they  came  quite  close  to  him.  As  he 
wandered  on,  he  occasionally  saw  horse  tracks,  but 
always  old,  yet  showing  that  there  were  people  in  the 
country.  On  the  night  of  the  25th,  he  found  no  water, 
and  as  he  was  about  to  lie  down  to  sleep,  he  found  that 
he  was  surrounded  by  snakes  of  every  kind.  "This  was 
a  peculiarly,  soul-trying  moment,"  he  tells  us.  "I  had 
tasted  no  fruit  since  the  morning  before,  and  after  a 
painful  day's  march  under  a  burning  sun,  could  not 
procure  a  drop  of  water  to  allay  my  feverish  thirst.  I 
was  surrounded  by  a  murderous  brood  of  serpents,  and 
ferocious  beasts  of  prey;  and  without  even  the  con- 
solation of  knowing  when  such  misery  might  have  a 
probable  termination.  I  might  truly  say  with  the  royal 
psalmist  that  'the  snares  of  death  compassed  me  round 
about/  '  But  he  lived  through  it.  All  the  next  day 
he  travelled  without  water,  and  when  at  night  he 
came  to  a  stream,  he  was  so  weak  that  he  fell  into  it, 
and  was  almost  carried  away,  but  caught  himself  by 
an  overhanging  bough  and  regained  the  shore.  Here 
he  found  food  and  ate  it  eagerly.  "On  looking  about 
for  a  place  to  sleep,  I  observed  lying  on  the  ground  the 
hollow  trunk  of  a  large  pine,  which  had  been  destroyed 
by  lightning.  I  retreated  into  the  cavity;  and  having 
covered  myself  completely  with  large  pieces  of  loose 
bark,  quickly  fell  asleep.  My  repose  was  not  of  long 
duration;  for  at  the  end  of  about  two  hours  I  was 
awakened  by  the  growling  of  a  bear,  which  had  re- 


316  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

moved  part  of  the  bark  covering  and  was  leaning  over 
me  with  his  snout,  hesitating  as  to  the  means  he  should 
adopt  to  dislodge  me;  the  narrow  limits  of  the  trunk 
which  confined  my  body  prevented  him  from  mak- 
ing the  attack  with  advantage.  I  instantly  sprang  up, 
seized  my  stick,  and  uttered  a  loud  cry,  which  startled 
him,  and  caused  him  to  recede  a  few  steps;  when  he 
stopped  and  turned  about  apparently  doubtful  whether 
he  would  commence  an  attack.  He  determined  on  an 
assault;  but  feeling  that  I  had  not  sufficient  strength 
to  meet  such  an  unequal  enemy,  I  thought  it  prudent 
to  retreat,  and  accordingly  scrambled  up  an  adjoining 
tree.  My  flight  gave  fresh  impulse  to  his  courage,  and 
he  commenced  ascending  after  me.  I  succeeded,  how- 
ever, in  gaining  a  branch,  which  gave  me  a  decided 
advantage  over  him;  and  from  which  I  was  enabled 
to  annoy  his  muzzle  and  claws  in  such  a  manner  with 
my  stick  as  effectually  to  check  his  progress.  After 
scraping  the  bark  some  time  with  rage  and  disappoint- 
ment, he  gave  up  the  task,  and  retired  to  my  late  dormi- 
tory, of  which  he  took  possession.  The  fear  of  falling 
off,  in  case  I  was  overcome  by  sleep,  induced  me  to 
make  several  attempts  to  descend;  but  each  attempt 
aroused  my  ursine  sentinel;  and,  after  many  ineffectual 
efforts,  I  was  obliged  to  remain  there  during  the  rest  of 
the  night.  I  fixed  myself  in  that  part  of  the  trunk  from 
which  the  principal  grand  branches  forked,  and  which 
prevented  me  from  falling  during  my  fitful  slumbers. 
A  little  after  sunrise,  the  bear  quitted  the  trunk,  shook 
himself,  'cast  a  longing,  lingering  look'  toward  me,  and 


Ross  Cox  317 


slowly  disappeared  in  search  of  his  morning  repast. 
After  waiting  some  time,  apprehensive  of  his  return,  I 
descended  and  resumed  my  journey  through  the  woods." 
A  few  hours  later  Cox  came  upon  a  well-beaten  horse- 
trail,  with  fresh  tracks  both  of  hoofs  and  human  feet. 
Following  this  he  came  that  evening  to  a  spot  where 
the  party  had  camped  the  preceding  night;  and  about 
a  large  fire  which  was  still  burning  found  the  half- 
picked  bones  of  grouse  and  ducks,  on  which  he  made 
a  hearty  meal,  the  first  flesh  he  had  tasted  in  a  long 
time.  For  two  days  more  he  followed  the  trail,  on  the 
second  day  finding  fruit.  The  tracks  grew  constantly 
fresher,  but  the  bandages  of  his  feet  were  constantly 
wearing  out,  and,  with  the  exception  of  his  shirt,  he 
was  almost  naked.  At  evening  he  came  to  a  fork  in 
the  trail,  with  fresh  tracks  on  both  branches.  One  led 
up  a  hill,  the  other  into  a  valley.  Cox  took  the  upper 
one,  but  as  it  was  growing  dark,  feared  that  he  might 
not  find  water  at  night,  and  turned  back  and  followed 
the  trail  into  the  valley.  Before  he  had  gone  far  he 
thought  he  heard  the  neighing  of  a  horse,  and  hurrying 
onward,  before  long  he  saw  several  horses  feeding  in  a 
meadow  on  the  other  side  of  a  stream.  He  crossed,  and 
one  of  the  horses  approached  him,  and  to  the  weak  and 
starving  man  the  good  beast  looked  like  a  real  friend. 
A  little  farther  on  he  saw  smoke,  and  then  two  women 
appeared,  who  at  sight  of  him  fled  to  a  shelter  at  the 
farther  end  of  the  meadow.  From  this  at  once  emerged 
two  men,  who  came  running  toward  him  in  the  most 
friendly  manner.  They  carried  him  in  their  arms  to 


318  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

their  home;  washed  and  dressed  his  wounds,  roasted 
some  roots  and  boiled  salmon  for  him.  In  fact,  they 
treated  him  as  if  he  had  been  a  relation  rather  than  a 
stranger.  The  men  talked  with  him  in  signs,  and  gave 
him  to  understand  that  they  knew  who  he  was,  and  that 
he  had  been  lost  and  that  they  with  other  Indians  and 
white  men  had  been  searching  for  him.  To  a  man  who 
had  been  wandering  in  the  desert  for  fourteen  days,  the 
sight  of  these  Indians,  and  the  harsh,  guttural  sounds 
by  which  they  expressed  their  thoughts,  were  perfectly 
delightful.  Full,  warm,  and  clad,  for  the  first  time  in 
two  weeks,  he  slept  that  night  as  he  had  never  slept 
before. 

The  next  day  the  men  took  him  in  a  canoe  across  the 
Coeur  d'Alene  River,  and  having  given  him  deer-skin 
clothing,  they  set  off  on  horseback  to  the  eastward. 

After  seven  hours  they  came  to  where  some  of  the 
Canadians  were  at  work  getting  wood.  Francois 
Gardepie  joined  them  just  before  they  reached  the 
tents,  and  taking  Cox  for  an  Indian,  spoke  to  him.  It 
was  not  until  he  replied  in  French  that  he  recognized 
him,  and  there  was  much  rejoicing  in  all  the  camp  when 
he  joined  his  people.  The  party  had  supposed  that  he 
had  long  perished;  for  considering  his  youth  and  his 
inexperience  in  the  Indian  country,  the  oldest  voyageurs 
had  given  him  up  after  the  sixth  day. 


CHAPTER  XX 

ROSS  COX 

n 

IT  was  October  17,  the  anniversary  of  the  sailing 
from  New  York  of  the  "Beaver,"  that  Cox  and 
Farnham  set  out  on  their  trading  expedition  to 
the  Flatheads,  and  on  the  loth  of  November  they 
reached  the  small  village  of  these  people.  They  were 
charmed  with  their  frank  and  hospitable  reception,  and 
with  the  superiority  in  cleanliness  of  these  Indians  over 
other  tribes  that  they  had  seen.  They  determined  to 
remain  here  for  a  while,  and  began  the  building  of  a 
log  house  in  which  to  winter.  Meantime  the  Indians 
kept  coming  in,  and  they  made  quite  a  trade  in  beaver. 
In  December,  Cox,  having  had  a  good  canoe  built  of 
cedar  planks,  took  leave  of  Farnham,  and  with  six 
men  set  out  to  descend  the  river  to  Spokane,  which  was 
reached  about  New  Year's  day. 

During  a  trip  to  the  Flatheads,  Cox  witnessed  an  ex- 
traordinary display  of  fortitude  by  a  Blackfoot  prisoner 
whom  they  were  torturing.  It  is  a  graphic  picture  of 
the  savage  cruelty  of  the  savage  man,  and  is  far  too 
horrible  to  print.  An  effort  was  made  by  the  traders 

319 


32O  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

to  put  an  end  to  these  tortures,  and  the  Flatheads  were 
induced  to  set  free,  and  send  away  to  their  people,  a 
number  of  Blackfeet  women.  To  these  prisoners,  now 
being  set  free,  it  was  explained  that  torture  between 
the  tribes  ought  to  cease,  and  as  they  were  turned  loose 
unharmed,  it  was  hoped  that  they  would  persuade 
their  people  on  the  prairies  to  abstain  in  future  from 
torturing  Flathead  captives.  Cox  is  enthusiastic  about 
the  attractiveness  of  the  Flatheads.  It  was  here  that 
he  was  successfully  treated  for  rheumatism  by  an  old 
Indian  doctor;  the  cure  being  a  morning  bath  in  the 
river,  now  frozen  over,  through  a  hole  in  the  ice,  fol- 
lowed by  rubbing  of  the  affected  parts  by  the  old  doctor. 
After  twenty-five  days  of  the  treatment  the  trouble  had 
entirely  disappeared. 

In  August,  1814,  a  party  of  sixty  men,  including  pro- 
prietors and  clerks,  left  Fort  George  to  go  up  the  river 
with  trade  goods.  On  the  way  they  met  some  Indians, 
who  attempted  to  steal  various  small  articles,  and  were 
warned  to  stop  it,  but  paid  no  attention  to  the  orders. 
Three  caught  in  the  act  of  pilfering  were  flogged.  At 
night  the  party  was  attacked  by  Indians,  and  a  Canadian 
was  killed.  There  were  many  narrow  escapes.  Pass- 
ing up  the  river  they  met  with  the  Walla  Wallas,  who 
received  them  in  their  usual  friendly  way.  A  little  later 
the  party  separated,  the  division  to  which  Cox  was 
assigned  going  to  Spokane  House,  where  the  Indians, 
who  had  expended  all  their  ammunition,  received  them 
with  great  joy.  An  amusing  sketch  is  given  of  the  per- 
sonality and  character  of  the  Scotchman,  McDonald, 


Ross  Cox  321 


celebrated  for  his  great  size,  his  flaming  red  hair,  and 
his  daring  bravery.  A  small  tribe  of  Indians  were 
camped  between  an  immense  fall  in  the  Columbia, 
known  as  La  Chaudiere,  and  Spokane  House;  their 
chief  was  a  philosopher,  frugal,  thrifty,  opposed  to 
gambling,  and  so  in  many  respects  different  from  the 
average  Indian. 

In  October  the  various  parties  returned  to  Fort 
George  with  the  proceeds  of  their  trade,  and  on  the 
1 8th  of  November  again  set  out  for  the  interior.  Not 
far  above  the  mouth  of  the  Walla  Walla  they  met  a 
number  of  Indians  coming  down.  They  stopped  the 
first  canoes  to  ask  for  tobacco,  and  as  they  passed  the 
last  ones,  endeavored  to  take  from  them  some  bales 
of  goods.  The  arms  of  the  canoemen  were  not  within 
reach,  but  each  of  the  proprietors  or  clerks  carried  his 
arms.  Every  effort  was  made  to  avoid  open  hostilities. 
The  canoemen  tried  to  beat  the  Indians  off"  with  their 
paddles,  and  the  Indians  had  not  yet  attempted  to  use 
their  arms.  When  a  tall  Indian  refused  to  let  go  the 
bale  of  goods  that  he  was  trying  to  take  from  McDon- 
ald's canoe,  M'Kay  struck  him  with  the  butt  end  of  his 
gun,  and  obliged  him  to  drop  the  bale.  The  Indian  in- 
stantly placed  an  arrow  on  his  bow,  which  he  aimed  at 
McDonald,  who  quickly  stretched  forth  his  arm,  seized 
the  arrow,  broke  it  to  pieces,  and  threw  duem  into  the 
Indian's  face.  The  Indian,  by  this  time  very  angry, 
had  ordered  his  canoe  to  push  off,  and  was  just  about 
to  shoot  an  arrow  at  McDonald  when  M'Kay  fired  and 
killed  him.  His  two  companions  were  about  to  use 


322  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

their  bows,  but  McDonald,  who  had  a  double-barrelled 
gun,  shot  them  both,  killing  one  and  severely  wounding 
the  other.  The  fight  was  on,  but  the  Indians  threw 
themselves  in  the  bottom  of  their  canoes  out  of  sight, 
and  the  vessels  soon  drifted  down  the  river,  and  out  of 
gunshot.  The  traders  at  once  went  ashore  and  armed 
themselves.  The  Indians  lurked  about  and  shot  at 
them,  but  without  effect.  Embarking,  the  white  men 
paddled  to  a  narrow  island  in  the  river,  built  breast- 
works, and  prepared  for  defence.  The  next  day  the 
wind  blew  hard,  and  they  were  obliged  to  pass  the 
night  on  the  island.  Meantime  the  Indians  were  signal- 
ing, and  canoes  could  be  heard  crossing  and  recrossing 
the  river.  The  spirits  of  the  white  men  were  low,  and 
they  believed  that  they  were  likely  all  to  be  killed.  The 
next  day  the  traders  sent  out  a  flag  of  truce  to  the  enemy, 
and  asked  for  a  talk,  being  determined  to  pay  the  rela- 
tives of  the  dead  for  the  loss,  rather  than  to  have  any 
fighting.  The  Indians  refused  this,  however,  and  de- 
clared that  two  white  men  must  be  delivered  to  them 
to  be  treated  as  they  thought  best.  One  of  these  white 
men,  it  was  explained,  must  be  McDonald.  The  offers 
made  by  the  traders  had  been  sufficiently  liberal,  but 
the  sentiment  of  the  savages  seemed  to  be  that  these 
offers  must  be  refused,  and  that  white  men  must  be 
killed  to  accompany  the  dead  Indians  on  their  way  to 
the  home  of  the  dead.  After  a  heated  discussion,  it 
became  evident  that  there  was  little  hope  of  a  compro- 
mise or  of  peace.  One  by  one  the  Indians  sulkily  drew 
away  from  the  council  and  joined  their  friends  who  were 


Ross  Cox  323 


sitting  at  a  distance  behind  them.  Just  before  the  con- 
ference was  over,  however,  it  was  interrupted  by  the  ar- 
rival of  a  dozen  mounted  Indians,  who  dashed  into  the 
space  between  the  two  parties,  and  halted  there.  These 
men  were  under  the  leadership  of  a  young  chief  whose 
courage  and  wisdom  was  respected  by  all  the  Indians  of 
the  country.  He  made  a  strong  plea  for  a  peaceful  set- 
tlement of  the  difficulty,  finally  declaring  that  no  one 
of  the  Indians  should  dare  to  attack  the  whites.  This 
speech  put  a  different  look  on  matters,  and  the  Indians 
presently  consented  to  the  proposed  compromise,  and 
smoked  with  the  traders.  The  wounded  and  the  rela- 
tives of  the  dead  proved  quite  willing  to  accept  the  pay- 
ments offered,  and  friendly  relations  were  renewed. 

In  May,  1816,  the  author  found  himself  once  more 
at  Okinagan,  and  this  time  occupying  the  chief  posi- 
tion there.  He  at  once  set  to  work  to  rebuild  the  post, 
where  he  spent  the  summer.  The  point  between  the 
Okinagan  River  and  the  Columbia,  where  the  trading 
post  was  built,  was  absolutely  free  from  rattlesnakes, 
although  the  surrounding  country  abounded  with  them. 
The  snakes  were  frequently  eaten  by  the  Canadians, 
who  skinned  them  as  eels  are  skinned,  and  then  spitted 
them  on  a  stick  run  through  the  body,  and  roasted  them 
before  a  fire.  Cox  tells  a  curious  story  of  the  treatment 
by  an  old  Indian  of  a  young  woman  supposed  to  have 
consumption.  The  treatment  consisted  in  killing  a  dog 
and  placing  the  foot  and  leg  of  the  patient  within  the 
newly  killed  carcass  until  the  flesh  became  cold.  They 
were  then  taken  out  and  bandaged  with  warm  flannel. 


324  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

Besides  this,  she  took  daily  a  small  quantity  of  bark  in 
a  glass  of  port-wine.  The  result  was  that  her  condi- 
tion greatly  improved;  she  regained  her  appetite,  and 
in  the  autumn  was  strong  enough  to  travel  across  the 
mountains  with  her  husband.  The  following  summer 
Cox  met  her  at  Rainy  Lake  in  the  full  enjoyment  of 
health.  Cox  also  tells  of  a  white  man,  absolutely  dying 
of  a  decline,  who  was  cured  by  being  placed  at  short 
intervals  in  the  body  of  a  newly  killed  horse.  After  two 
treatments  of  this  kind,  at  intervals  of  a  few  days,  he 
began  to  regain  his  strength,  and  by  adhering  to  simple 
and  careful  living,  was  finally  restored  to  his  ordinary 
health. 

Wolves  were  very  abundant  here,  and  were  very 
troublesome  to  the  horses.  "These  destructive  animals 
annually  destroy  numbers  of  horses,"  Cox  writes,  "  par- 
ticularly during  the  winter  season,  when  the  latter  get 
entangled  in  the  snow,  in  which  situation  they  become 
an  easy  prey  to  their  light-footed  pursuers,  ten  or  fifteen 
of  which  will  often  fasten  on  one  animal,  and  with  their 
long  fangs  in  a  few  minutes  separate  the  head  from  the 
body.  If,  however,  the  horses  are  not  prevented  from 
using  their  legs,  they  sometimes  punish  the  enemy  se- 
verely; as  an  instance  of  this,  I  saw  one  morning  the 
bodies  of  two  of  our  horses  which  had  been  killed  the 
night  before,  and  around  were  lying  eight  dead  and 
maimed  wolves;  some  with  their  brains  scattered  about, 
and  others  with  their  limbs  and  ribs  broken  by  the  hoofs 
of  the  furious  animals  in  their  vain  attempts  to  escape 
from  their  sanguinary  assailants. 


Ross  Cox  325 


"While  I  was  at  Spokane  I  went  occasionally  to  the 
horse  prairie,  which  is  nearly  surrounded  by  partially 
wooded  hilk,  for  the  purpose  of  watching  the  manoeu- 
vres of  the  wolves  in  their  combined  attacks.  The 
first  announcement  of  their  approach  was  a  few  shrill 
currish  barks  at  intervals,  like  the  outpost  firing  of 
skirmishing  parties.  These  were  answered  by  similar 
barking  from  an  opposite  direction,  until  the  sounds 
gradually  approximated,  and  at  length  ceased  on  the 
junction  of  the  different  parties.  We  prepared  our 
guns,  and  concealed  ourselves  behind  a  thick  cover. 
In  the  meantime,  the  horses,  sensible  of  the  approach- 
ing danger,  began  to  paw  the  ground,  snort,  toss  up 
their  heads,  look  wildly  about  them,  and  exhibit  all  the 
symptoms  of  fear.  One  or  two  stallions  took  the  lead, 
and  appeared  to  await  with  a  degree  of  comparative 
composure  for  the  appearance  of  the  enemy. 

"The  allies  at  length  entered  the  field  in  a  semi- 
circular form,  with  their  flanks  extended  for  the  evi- 
dent purpose  of  surrounding  their  prey.  They  were  be- 
tween two  and  three  hundred  strong.  The  horses,  on 
observing  their  movement,  knew  from  experience  its 
object,  and  dreading  to  encounter  so  numerous  a  force, 
instantly  turned  around  and  galloped  off  in  a  contrary 
direction.  Their  flight  was  the  signal  for  the  wolves 
to  advance;  and  immediately  uttering  a  simultaneous 
yell,  they  charged  after  the  fugitives,  still  preserving 
their  crescent  form.  Two  or  three  of  the  horses,  which 
were  not  in  the  best  condition,  were  quickly  overtaken  by 
the  advanced  guard  of  the  enemy.  The  former,  find- 


326  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

ing  themselves  unable  to  keep  up  with  the  band,  com- 
menced kicking  at  their  pursuers,  several  of  which  re- 
ceived some  severe  blows;  but  these  being  reinforced  by 
others,  they  would  have  shortly  despatched  the  horses, 
had  we  not  just  in  time  emerged  from  our  place  of  con- 
cealment and  discharged  a  volley  at  the  enemy's  center, 
by  which  a  few  were  brought  down.  The  whole  bat- 
talion instantly  wheeled  about  and  fled  toward  the  hills 
in  the  utmost  disorder;  while  the  horses,  on  hearing 
the  fire,  changed  their  course,  and  galloped  up  to  us. 
Our  appearance  saved  several  of  them  from  the  fangs 
of  their  foes;  and  by  their  neighing  they  seemed  to  ex- 
press their  joy  and  gratitude  at  our  timely  interference." 

In  portions  of  the  country  inhabited  by  the  Walla 
Wallas,  Nez  Perces,  and  Shoshones,  wild  horses  were  at 
this  time  very  abundant.  Sometimes  from  seven  hun- 
dred to  a  thousand  were  seen  in  a  band,  and  persons 
who  had  crossed  the  continent  by  the  Missouri  route 
told  Cox  that  in  the  Snake  Indian  country  bands  vary- 
ing from  three  to  four  thousand  were  frequently  seen. 
The  Spaniards  at  San  Francisco  informed  the  traders 
of  the  Northwest  Company  that  in  the  year  1812  they 
were  obliged  to  kill  upward  of  thirty  thousand  horses 
in  California  in  order  to  preserve  sufficient  grass  for  the 
buffalo.  Just  what  is  meant  by  California  in  this  con- 
nection is  uncertain,  since  it  is  not  known  that  the 
buffalo  were  ever  found  in  the  California  of  modern 
times. 

In  his  description  of  the  horses  of  the  country,  Cox 
tells  of  a  ride  of  seventy-two  miles  which  he  made  be- 


Ross  Cox  327 


tween  twelve  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  soon  after 
dark,  to  outstrip  some  rival  traders  who  were  on  their 
way  to  the  Flatheads.  The  Flatheads  were  out  of  to- 
bacco, but  Farnham,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  party, 
felt  sure  that  if  a  supply  of  this  commodity  were  brought 
them  at  once,  they  would  promise  their  skins  to  him. 
Cox,  riding  a  splendid  horse,  known  as  Le  Bleu, 
reached  Farnham  two  hours  in  advance  of  his  rivals, 
and  secured  the  trade. 

In  the  summer  of  1816  Cox  determined  to  abandon 
Indian  trading,  and  applied  to  the  proprietors  for  leave, 
which  was  granted  with  regret.  Nevertheless,  he  win- 
tered at  Okinagan. 

In  April,  1817,  Cox  joined  a  party  of  eighty-six  men 
who  embarked  in  two  barges  and  nine  canoes  from 
Fort  George  to  ascend  the  Columbia.  They  continued 
up  the  river  with  various  adventures,  seeing  Indians 
constantly,  but  having  no  trouble  with  them,  and  on  the 
seventeenth  day  twenty-three  of  the  party  who  were  to 
cross  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  plains  left  the  loaded 
canoes  and  continued  up  the  Columbia,  past  Okinagan, 
the  mouth  of  the  Spokane  River,  to  Great  Kettle  Falls. 
Continuing,  they  passed  through  the  lakes  on  the  Co- 
lumbia. The  river  grew  narrower  and  narrower,  and 
the  current  swifter,  and  at  length  they  reached  the 
Rocky  Mountain  portage,  where  they  were  to  leave 
their  canoes.  The  hard  work  done  on  the  trip  had  so 
far  exhausted  many  of  the  men,  that  they  were  now 
practically  unable  to  work;  and  seven  men,  six  Cana- 
dians and  an  Englishman,  were  sent  back  in  the  best 


328  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

canoe  to  Spokane  House.  Only  one  of  them  reached 
there  alive,  having  been  found  by  two  Indians  on  the 
borders  of  the  upper  lake,  and  by  them  transported  to 
Spokane  House.  Now  came  an  overland  journey  on 
foot,  where  the  nine  remaining  men  were  obliged  to 
carry  loads  of  about  ninety  pounds  each.  The  journey 
was  very  difficult,  over  steep  mountains,  across  rapid 
streams,  and  through  deep  snow  fields.  On  the  3ist  of 
May  they  reached  two  small  lakes  on  the  summit  of  the 
mountains,  at  which  they  encamped.  From  these  lakes 
a  stream  joins  a  branch  of  the  Columbia  River,  while 
another,  called  Rocky  Mountain  River,  empties  into 
Peace  River,  and  so  takes  its  way  to  the  Arctic  Ocean. 

The  next  day  they  reached  a  beautiful  meadow 
ground,  where  five  of  the  company's  horses  were  found 
grazing,  and  their  pack  saddles  were  placed  conspicu- 
ously near  a  large  fire  which  was  still  burning.  The 
animals  had  been  sent  up  from  Rocky  Mountain  House 
to  meet  them. 

The  next  day,  in  crossing  the  Rocky  Mountain  River, 
a  series  of  accidents  happened,  by  which  the  first  raft 
made  was  lost,  and  the  second  got  away,  carrying  several 
men  with  it,  the  result  being  that  the  party  was  now 
separated.  From  this  time  on  until  they  reached  Rocky 
Mountain  House,  they  did  not  get  together,  and  there 
was  some  suffering  from  hunger  and  cold.  Nor  was 
their  situation  much  better  at  Rocky  Mountain  House, 
for  they  were  unable  there  to  obtain  provisions,  the 
people  here  being  themselves  on  short  allowance.  On 
the  yth  of  June  they  left  Rocky  Mountain  House,  and 


Ross  Cox  329 


soon  entered  the  Athabasca  River,  and  followed  it  down 
until  they  reached  Elk  River,  which  they  ascended, 
and  at  last  met  Alexander  Stewart  and  the  Slave  Lake 
brigade.  From  here  they  proceeded  eastward,  down 
the  Beaver  River  to  Isle  a  la  Crosse,  reached  the  Eng- 
lish River,  Cumberland  House,  and  the  Saskatchewan, 
and  thence  went  through  Lake  Winepic  to  Fort  Alex- 
ander and  by  way  of  Rat  Portage  to  Rainy  Lake  and 
Fort  William. 

From  here  eastward  their  way  led  through  the  more 
or  less  settled  country  occupied  largely  by  Cana- 
dian farmers.  The  party  continued  eastward,  until  on 
September  19,  five  months  and  three  days  after  leav- 
ing the  Pacific  Ocean,  Cox  reached  Montreal,  and  his 
journeyings  were  at  an  end. 


CHAPTER  XXI 
THE  COMMERCE  OF  THE  PRAIRIES 


AT  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  and  during  the  seven- 
teenth century  a  line  of  Spanish  settlements  ran 
from  Mexico  northward  along  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, terminating  in  the  important  town  of  Taos.  To 
the  north,  north-east,  and  north-west  of  this  town  were 
other  settlements,  occupied  by  the  Spaniards  and  their 
descendants,  and  the  streams  and  geographical  features 
of  the  country  bore  Spanish  names — almost  up  to  the 
headwaters  of  the  Rio  Grande  del  Norte.  North  of 
the  Arkansas  there  was  a  change  of  tongue,  and  the 
names  were  English,  or  French,  given  much  later  by 
American  trappers  who  had  pushed  westward,  or  by 
French  Canadians  and  Creoles,  who  were  early  voya- 
geurs  over  the  plains. 

Though  Taos  was  an  important  place,  it  did  not 
equal,  either  in  size  or  wealth,  the  town  of  Santa  Fe. 

The  first  settlements  of  what  is  now  New  Mexico 
were  made  about  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century, 
and  a  colony  was  established  on  the  Rio  del  Norte,  in 
New  Mexico.  Agriculture  was  practised,  and  mines 
were  discovered  and  worked.  The  Spaniards,  in  their 

33° 


The  Commerce  of  the  Prairies  331 

greed  for  precious  metals,  made  slaves  of  the  docile 
Indians,  and  forced  them  to  labor  in  the  mines,  under 
circumstances  of  the  greatest  severity  and  hardship. 
Almost  a  hundred  years  later,  in  August,  1680,  this  ill 
treatment  caused  the  insurrection  of  the  Pueblos,  which 
put  an  end  to  many  a  flourishing  Spanish  settlement, 
and,  temporarily,  to  the  country's  development.  For 
a  time  the  Spaniards  were  driven  out,  but  it  was  for 
a  time  only;  a  little  later  they  returned,  resubdued 
the  country,  and  by  the  close  of  the  century  were 
stronger  than  ever.  Nevertheless,  the  Pueblo  revolt 
was  not  without  its  good  effect,  and  during  the  eigh- 
teenth century  the  Indians  were  far  better  treated  than 
they  had  been  before. 

In  the  year  1806,  Captain  Zebulon  M.  Pike  crossed 
the  plains  and  reached  the  city  of  Santa  Fe.  His  return 
told  the  inhabitants  of  the  farther  west  of  a  country 
beyond  the  plains  where  there  were  towns  and  people 
who  would  purchase  goods  brought  to  them.  Previous 
to  this,  a  merchant  of  Kaskaskia,  named  Morrison, 
had  sent  a  French  Creole  named  La  Lande  up  the 
Platte  River,  directing  him  to  go  to  Santa  Fe  to  trade; 
but  La  Lande,  though  he  reached  that  city,  never  re- 
turned, nor  accounted  to  his  employer  for  the  goods 
that  were  intrusted  to  him.  James  Pursley,  an  Ameri- 
can, was  perhaps  the  second  man  to  cross  these  plains, 
and  reach  the  Spanish  settlements.  When  Captain 
Pike  returned,  the  news  of  these  settlements,  hitherto 
unknown,  created  a  great  interest  throughout  the  slowly 
advancing  frontier. 


332  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

Expeditions  went  out  to  Santa  Fe  in  1812,  but  the 
traders  were  suspected  by  the  New  Mexicans  of  being 
spies,  their  goods  were  confiscated,  and  they  themselves 
imprisoned  and  detained  for  years,  some  of  them  re- 
turning to  the  United  States  in  1821.  After  this,  other 
parties  went  out,  and  the  trading  which  they  did  with 
the  Spaniards  was  successful  and  profitable.  More  and 
more  expeditions  set  forth,  often  manned  by  people  who 
were  entirely  ignorant  of  the  country  through  which 
they  were  to  pass,  and  of  the  hardships  which  they  were 
to  face.  Some  of  these  died  from  starvation  or  thirst, 
or,  at  the  very  least,  suffered  terribly,  and  often  were 
unsuccessful,  but  about  1822  the  trade  with  Santa  Fe 
became  established.  The  distance  from  the  American 
settlements  across  the  plains  to  Santa  Fe  was  hardly 
half  that  from  Vera  Cruz  to  Santa  Fe,  and  there  was 
great  profit  in  the  trade;  but  it  was  not  without  its 
dangers.  Indians  were  constantly  met  with,  and  many 
of  the  traders  did  not  understand  how  to  treat  them. 
Some  traders  were  robbed;  others,  resisting  harshly 
and  sometimes  killing  a  savage,  were  attacked,  robbed 
of  their  animals,  and  occasionally  lost  a  man. 

Among  the  interesting  records  of  the  plains  of  these 
early  times  is  Josiah  Gregg's  Commerce  of  the  Prairies, 
or  the  'Journal  of  a  Santa  Fe  Trader,  During  Eight 
Expeditions  Across  the  Great  Western  Prairies. 

Gregg,  an  invalid,  made  his  first  trip  across  the  plains 
on  the  advice  of  his  physician.  The  effect  of  his 
journey  was  to  re-establish  his  health  and  to  beget  in 
him  a  passion  for  prairie  life.  He  soon  became  in- 


The  Commerce  of  the  Prairies  333 

terested,  as  a  proprietor,  in  the  Santa  Fe  trade,  and  for 
eight  successive  years  continued  to  follow  this  business. 
The  period  covered  by  his  volumes  is  from  1831  to 
1840,  during  which  time  the  trade  was  at  its  height. 

The  caravan  with  which  Gregg  started,  set  out  with 
near  a  hundred  wagons,  of  which  one-half  were  hauled 
by  oxen  and  the  remainder  by  mules.  The  very  night 
that  they  left  Council  Grove  their  cattle  stampeded,  but 
being  corralled  within  the  circle  of  wagons,  did  not 
escape. 

Having  a  large  company,  it  was  natural  that  there 
should  be  among  it  a  number  of  people  who  were  con- 
stantly seeing  dangers  that  did  not  exist.  They  had 
been  out  but  a  short  time  when,  "Alarms  now  began  to 
accumulate  more  rapidly  upon  us.  A  couple  of  per- 
sons had  a  few  days  before  been  chased  to  the  wagons 
by  a  band  of — buffalo;  and  this  evening  the  encamp- 
ment was  barely  formed  when  two  hunters  came  bolt- 
ing in  with  information  that  a  hundred,  perhaps  of  the 
same  'enemy'  were  at  hand — at  least  this  was  the  cur- 
rent opinion  afterward.  The  hubbub  occasioned  by 
this  fearful  news  had  scarcely  subsided,  when  another 
arrived  on  a  panting  horse,  crying  out  'Indians!  Ind- 
ians! I've  just  escaped  from  a  couple,  who  pursued 
me  to  the  very  camp ! '  'To  arms !  to  arms ! '  resounded 
from  every  quarter — and  just  then  a  wolf,  attracted  by 
the  fumes  of  broiling  buffalo  bones,  sent  up  a  most 
hideous  howl  across  the  creek.  'Some  one  in  distress!' 
was  instantly  shouted:  'To  his  relief!'  vociferated  the 
crowd;  and  off  they  bolted,  one  and  all,  arms  in  hand, 


334  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

hurly-burly,  leaving  the  camp  entirely  unprotected,  so 
that  had  an  enemy  been  at  hand  indeed,  and  approached 
us  from  the  opposite  direction,  they  might  easily  have 
taken  possession  of  the  wagons.  Before  they  had  re- 
turned, however,  a  couple  of  hunters  came  in  and 
laughed  very  heartily  at  the  expense  of  the  first  alarmist, 
whom  they  had  just  chased  into  the  camp." 

While  baseless  Indian  scares  were  common,  they 
sometimes  had  genuine  frights,  as  in  the  case  of  a  large 
body  of  Indians  met  on  the  Cimarron  River.  On  this 
occasion,  "It  was  a  genuine  alarm — a  tangible  reality. 
These  warriors,  however,  as  we  soon  discovered,  were 
only  the  vanguard  of  a  '  countless  host/  who  were  by 
this  time  pouring  over  the  opposite  ridge,  and  gallop- 
ing directly  toward  us. 

"The  wagons  were  soon  irregularly  'formed'  upon 
the  hillside:  but  in  accordance  with  the  habitual  care- 
lessness of  caravan  traders,  a  great  portion  of  the  men 
were  unprepared  for  the  emergency.  Scores  of  guns 
were  'empty/  and  as  many  more  had  been  wetted  by 
the  recent  showers,  and  would  not  'go  off.'  Here  was 
one  calling  for  balls;  another  for  powder;  a  third  for 
flints.  Exclamations,  such  as,  'I've  broken  my  ram- 
rod!'— Tve  spilt  my  caps!' — 'I've  rammed  down  a 
ball  without  powder!' — 'My  gun  is  choked;  give  me 
yours!' — were  heard  from  different  quarters;  while  a 
timorous  'greenhorn'  would  perhaps  cry  out:  'Here, 
take  my  gun,  you  can  outshoot  me!'  The  more  daring 
bolted  off  to  encounter  the  enemy  at  once,  while  the 
timid  and  cautious  took  a  stand  with  presented  rifle 


3 

£  % 


The  Commerce  of  the  Prairies  335 

behind  the  wagons.  The  Indians,  who  were  in  ad- 
vance, made  a  bold  attempt  to  press  upon  us,  which 
came  near  costing  them  dearly,  for  some  of  our  fiery 
backwoodsmen  more  than  once  had  their  rusty,  but 
unerring,  rifles  directed  upon  the  intruders,  some  of 
whom  would  inevitably  have  fallen  before  their  deadly 
aim,  had  not  some  of  the  more  prudent  traders  inter- 
posed. The  Indians  made  demonstrations  no  less  hos- 
tile, rushing,  with  ready  sprung  bows,  upon  a  portion 
of  our  men  who  had  gone  in  search  of  water,  and  mis- 
chief would,  perhaps,  have  ensued,  had  not  the  im- 
petuosity of  the  warriors  been  checked  by  the  wise  men 
of  the  nation. 

"The  Indians  were  collecting  around  us,  however, 
in  such  great  numbers,  that  it  was  deemed  expedient 
to  force  them  away,  so  as  to  resume  our  march,  or  at 
least  to  take  a  more  advantageous  position.  Our  com- 
pany was  therefore  mustered  and  drawn  up  in  'line  of 
battle';  and,  accompanied  by  the  sound  of  a  drum  and 
fife,  we  marched  toward  the  main  group  of  the  Indians. 
The  latter  seemed  far  more  delighted  than  frightened 
with  this  strange  parade  and  music,  a  spectacle  they 
had,  no  doubt,  never  witnessed  before,  and  perhaps 
looked  upon  the  whole  movement  rather  as  a  compli- 
mentary salute  than  a  hostile  array,  for  there  was  no 
interpreter  through  whom  any  communication  could 
be  conveyed  to  them.  But,  whatever  may  have  been 
their  impressions,  one  thing  is  certain — that  the  prin- 
cipal chief  (who  was  dressed  in  a  long  red  coat  of 
strouding,  or  coarse  cloth)  appeared  to  have  full  con- 


336  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

fidence  in  the  virtues  of  his  calumet,  which  he  lighted, 
and  came  boldly  forward  to  meet  our  war-like  corps, 
serenely  smoking  the  'pipe  of  peace.'  Our  captain, 
now  taking  a  whiff  with  the  savage  chief,  directed  him 
by  signs  to  cause  his  warriors  to  retire.  This  most  of 
them  did,  to  rejoin  the  long  train  of  squaws  and  pa- 
pooses with  the  baggage,  who  followed  in  the  rear,  and 
were  just  then  seen  emerging  from  beyond  the  hills." 

It  was  estimated  that  there  were  not  less  than  two  or 
three  thousand  of  these  Indians,  who  were  supposed 
to  be  Blackfeet  and  Gros  Ventres.  They  remained  for 
some  days  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  train,  and  kept 
the  traders  on  tenterhooks  of  anxiety,  lest  there  should 
be  an  attack,  or  a  wholesale  driving  off  of  cattle.  Later 
there  were  talks — or  at  least  friendly  meeting — and 
giving  of  presents;  and  finally,  the  Indians  moved  away 
without  doing  any  harm.  It  was  but  a  day  or  two 
later,  however,  when  some  Comanches  had  a  skirmish 
with  the  train,  but  without  evil  results  to  either  party. 

It  was  not  long  after  this  that  the  train,  still  journey- 
ing westward,  saw  evidence  of  their  approach  to  the 
Spanish  settlements.  On  the  5th  of  July,  as  they 
were  proceeding  after  the  celebration  of  the  day  before, 
they  met  a  Mexican  cibolero,  or  buffalo  hunter,  one  of 
those  hardy  wanderers  of  the  plains,  who  used  to  vent- 
ure out  from  the  Spanish  settlements  to  secure  dried 
buffalo  meat,  killing  buffalo  and  trading  with  the  Ind- 
ians. These  wanderers  made  long  journeys,  which 
often  extended  as  far  as  the  country  claimed  and  occu- 
pied by  Crows,  Cheyennes,  and  Pawnees.  Perfectly  ac- 


The  Commerce  of  the  Prairies  337 

customed  to  the  life  of  the  plains,  armed  with  gun  and 
lance,  and  bow  and  arrows,  they  were  not  less  free 
than  the  aboriginal  inhabitants,  whose  methods  in 
many  ways  they  imitated,  and  whose  blood  many  of 
them  shared.  Like  the  Indians,  these  buffalo  hunters 
killed  their  game  chiefly  with  the  arrow  and  the  lance, 
and  drying  its  flesh,  packed  it  on  their  mules,  or  in 
their  ox-carts,  and  carried  it  back  to  the  settlements  to 
trade. 

It  was  not  very  long  after,  that  Gregg,  leaving  the 
train  and  pushing  ahead  with  others,  found  himself  in 
the  city  of  Santa  Fe.  He  was  much  impressed  by  the 
new  country,  inhabited  by  a  race  as  different  as  pos- 
sible from  those  whom  he  had  left  in  his  Eastern  home. 
He  was  a  close  observer  and  records  interestingly  much 
of  what  he  saw. 

The  wild  tribes  are  described  —  the  Navajoes, 
Apaches,  Yutas,  and  Caiguas,  or  Kiawas.  Much  is  said 
of  the  raids  of  the  Apaches  and  the  terror  in  which  they 
kept  the  inhabitants  of  the  towns,  as  well  as  the  Mexi- 
can troops  stationed  there  to  protect  these  inhabitants. 
The  savage  butchery  of  a  lot  of  Apaches  by  a  troop  of 
men,  under  an  American  leader,  may  perhaps  be  the 
incident  which  has  given  rise  to  many  similar  tales 
concerning  the  similar  slaughters  of  the  olden  times. 
It  seems  there  was  a  celebrated  Apache  chief,  called 
Juan  Jose,  whose  cunning  and  audacity  had  caused  him 
to  be  feared  throughout  the  whole  country.  The  gov- 
ernment of  Sonora  had  announced  that  all  booty  taken 
from  the  savages  under  his  command  should  be  the 


338  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

property  of  those  who  took  it.  "Accordingly,  in  the 
spring  of  1837  a  party  of  some  twenty  men,  composed 
chiefly  of  foreigners,  spurred  on  by  the  love  of  gain,  and 
never  doubting  but  the  Indians,  after  so  many  years  of 
successful  robberies,  must  be  possessed  of  a  vast  amount 
of  property,  set  out  with  an  American  as  their  com- 
mander, who  had  long  resided  in  the  country.  In  a 
few  days  they  reached  a  rancheria  of  about  fifty  war- 
riors with  their  families,  among  whom  was  the  famous 
Juan  Jose  himself,  and  three  other  principal  chiefs. 
On  seeing  the  Americans  advance,  the  former  at  once 
gave  them  to  understand  that,  if  they  had  come  to  fight, 
they  were  ready  to  accommodate  them;  but,  on  being 
assured  by  the  leader  that  they  were  merely  bent  on 
a  trading  expedition,  a  friendly  interview  was  imme- 
diately established  between  the  parties.  The  American 
captain  having  determined  to  put  these  obnoxious  chiefs 
to  death  under  any  circumstances,  soon  caused  a  lit- 
tle field-piece,  which  had  been  concealed  from  the  Ind- 
ians, to  be  loaded  with  chain  and  canister  shot,  and  to 
be  held  in  readiness  for  use.  The  warriors  were  then 
invited  to  the  camp  to  receive  a  present  of  flour,  which 
was  placed  within  range  of  the  cannon.  While  they 
were  occupied  in  dividing  the  contents  of  the  bag,  they 
were  fired  upon,  and  a  considerable  number  of  their 
party  killed  on  the  spot!  The  remainder  were  then 
attacked  with  small  arms,  and  about  twenty  slain,  in- 
cluding Juan  Jose  and  the  other  chiefs.  Those  who 
escaped  became  afterward  their  own  avengers  in  a  man- 
ner which  proved  terribly  disastrous  to  another  party 


The  Commerce  of  the  Prairies  339 

of  Americans,  who  happened  at  the  time  to  be  trapping 
on  Rio  Gila,  not  far  distant.  The  enraged  savages  re- 
solved to  take  summary  vengeance  upon  these  unfortu- 
nate trappers,  and  falling  upon  them,  massacred  them 
every  one." 

It  is  added  that:  "The  Apaches,  previous  to  this 
date,  had  committed  but  few  depredations  upon  for- 
eigners (/'.  e.  Americans),  restrained  either  by  fear  or 
respect.  Small  parties  of  the  latter  were  permitted  to 
pass  the  highways  of  the  wilderness  unmolested,  while 
large  caravans  of  Mexicans  suffered  frequent  attacks." 

It  is  generally  known  that  the  Indians  of  the  plains 
regarded  the  Mexicans  as  a  different  people  from  the 
dwellers  of  the  United  States,  and  there  was  even  a 
time  when  a  distinction  was  made  between  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  United  States  and  those  of  the  Republic  of 
Texas. 

The  bounty  on  scalps,  adopted  by  the  Mexican  gov- 
ernment in  1837,  was  one  of  the  many  schemes  devised 
by  the  people  of  the  borderland  to  check  the  ravages 
of  the  Indians.  By  this  Proyecto  de  Guerra  a  series  of 
bounties  were  paid  for  scalps,  running  from  one  hun- 
dred dollars  for  the  scalp  of  a  full-grown  man,  down  to 
fifty  for  that  of  a  woman,  and  twenty-five  for  that  of  a 
little  child.  For  a  brief  time  this  bounty  was  paid, 
and  Gregg  himself  saw  a  scalp  brought  in  on  a  pole  by 
a  Mexican  officer  in  command  of  troops,  precisely  as 
the  Indians,  returning  from  the  war-path,  used  to  bring 
their  scalps  into  their  home  village. 

In  1838,  Gregg  returned  across  the  plains,  meeting 


340  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

a  few  adventures,  among  which  the  most  important  was 
an  attack  on  the  train  by  Indians,  who  were  supposed 
to  be  Pawnees.  The  effort  was  merely  to  steal  their 
horses,  which,  happily,  they  saved. 


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CHAPTER  XXII 

THE  COMMERCE  OF  THE  PRAIRIES 
II 

IN  1839,  after  having  been  only  a  few  months  in  the 
"States,"  Gregg  was  unable  to  resist  his  longing 
for  the  free  life  of  the  prairies  and  began  to  make 
preparations  for  another  trip  to  the  Mexican  settle- 
ments. At  that  time  the  ports  of  Mexico  were  block- 
aded by  French  men-of-war,  and  the  demand  for  goods 
was  great,  with  a  prospect  of  correspondingly  high 
prices.  Late  in  April  the  wagon  train,  loaded  with 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  goods,  crossed 
the  Arkansas,  not  far  from  the  mouth  of  the  Canadian 
fork.  They  had  not  proceeded  far  before  they  lost  a 
teamster;  "a  Cherokee  shopkeeper  came  up  to  us 
with  an  attachment  for  debt  against  a  free  mulatto, 
whom  we  had  engaged  as  teamster.  The  poor  fellow 
had  no  alternative  but  to  return  with  the  importunate 
creditor,  who  committed  him  at  once  to  the  care  of 
'Judge  Lynch*  for  trial.  We  ascertained  afterward 
that  he  had  been  sentenced  to  'take  the  benefit  of  the 
bankrupt  law'  after  the  manner  of  the  Cherokees  of 
that  neighborhood.  This  is  done  by  stripping  and 
tying  the  victim  to  a  tree;  when  each  creditor,  with  a 

341 


342  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

good  cowhide  or  hickory  switch  in  his  hand,  scores  the 
amount  of  the  bill  due  upon  his  bare  back.  One  stripe 
for  every  dollar  due  is  the  usual  process  of 'whitewash- 
ing'; and  as  the  application  of  the  lash  is  accompanied 
by  all  sorts  of  quaint  remarks,  the  exhibition  affords 
no  small  merriment  to  those  present,  with  the  exception, 
no  doubt,  of  the  delinquent  himself.  After  the  ordeal 
is  over,  the  creditors  declare  themselves  perfectly  satis- 
fied: nor  could  they,  as  is  said,  ever  be  persuaded 
thereafter  to  receive  one  red  cent  of  the  amount  due, 
even  if  it  were  offered  to  them.  As  the  poor  mulatto 
was  also  in  our  debt,  and  was  perhaps  apprehensive 
that  we  might  exact  payment  in  the  same  currency,  he 
never  showed  himself  again." 

The  leaders  of  the  party  just  setting  out  were  well 
armed  with  Colt's  repeating  rifles  and  revolvers,  and 
carried,  besides,  two  small  cannon.  Among  the  men 
were  a  number  of  young  fellows  from  the  East,  most  of 
them  quite  without  prairie  experience.  They  had  not 
been  many  days  out  when  one  of  the  party,  out  hunting, 
became  lost,  and  not  returning  at  night,  muskets  were 
fired  to  guide  him  to  camp;  but  he  imagined  that  the 
firing  was  done  by  hostile  Indians,  and  fled  from  the 
sound.  Finally,  according  to  his  statement,  he  was 
attacked  during  the  night  by  a  panther,  which  he  suc- 
ceeded in  beating  off  with  the  butt  of  his  gun.  It  was 
imagined,  however,  from  the  peculiar  odor  with  which 
the  shattered  gun  was  still  redolent  when  he  reached 
camp,  that  the  "painter"  that  he  had  driven  off  was  not 
many  degrees  removed  in  affinity  from  a  skunk. 


The  Commerce  of  the  Prairies  343 

When  the  train  reached  the  north  fork  of  the  Cana- 
dian, they  met  with  a  considerable  camp  of  Comanches, 
with  whom  they  had  some  friendly  intercourse.  With 
them  was  a  body  of  United  States  Dragoons,  under 
Lieutenant  Bowman,  to  whom  had  been  intrusted  the 
task  of  trying  to  make  peace  with  the  Comanches,  and 
so  protecting  the  settlements  of  the  border.  Among 
these  Comanches  were  a  number  of  Mexican  captives 
— women,  boys,  and  small  children — of  whom  Gregg 
notes  that  a  number  of  them  were  still  well  able  to 
speak  Spanish.  In  other  words,  their  captivity  had 
been  so  short  that  they  had  a  clear  memory  of  the 
events  of  earlier  life.  An  effort  was  made  to  purchase 
several  of  these  captives,  in  order  to  return  them  to 
their  homes.  Most  of  them,  however,  were  unwill- 
ing to  go,  and  for  a  variety  of  reasons;  one  of  the 
lads,  only  ten  or  twelve  years  old,  explaining  that 
by  his  life  among  the  Indians  he  had  become  "now 
too  much  of  a  brute  to  live  among  Christians."  One 
lad  Gregg  did  purchase,  and  was  repaid  by  much 
gratitude. 

It  was  near  the  Canadian  River,  which  they  had  now 
reached,  that  a  small  party  of  Americans  experienced 
terrible  suffering  in  the  winter  of  1832  and  '33.  "The 
party,"  Gregg  says,  "consisted  of  twelve  men,  chiefly 
citizens  of  Missouri.  Their  baggage  and  about  ten 
thousand  dollars  in  specie  were  packed  upon  mules. 
They  took  the  route  of  the  Canadian  River,  fearing  to 
venture  on  the  northern  prairies  at  that  season  of  the 
year.  Having  left  Santa  Fe  in  December,  they  had 


344  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

proceeded  without  accident  thus  far,  when  a  large  body 
of  Comanches  and  Kiawas  were  seen  advancing  tow- 
ard them.  Being  well  acquainted  with  the  treacherous 
and  pusillanimous  disposition  of  those  races,  the  traders 
prepared  at  once  for  defence;  but  the  savages  having 
made  a  halt  at  some  distance,  began  to  approach  one 
by  one,  or  in  small  parties,  making  a  great  show  of 
friendship  all  the  while,  until  most  of  them  had  col- 
lected on  the  spot.  Finding  themselves  surrounded  in 
every  direction,  the  travellers  now  began  to  move  on, 
in  hopes  of  getting  rid  of  the  intruders;  but  the  latter 
were  equally  ready  for  the  start,  and,  mounting  their 
horses,  kept  jogging  on  in  the  same  direction.  The 
first  act  of  hostility  perpetrated  by  the  Indians  proved 
fatal  to  one  of  the  American  traders  named  Pratt,  who 
was  shot  dead  while  attempting  to  secure  two  mules 
which  had  become  separated  from  the  rest.  Upon  this, 
the  companions  of  the  slain  man  immediately  dis- 
mounted and  commenced  a  fire  upon  the  Indians,  which 
was  warmly  returned,  whereby  another  man  of  the 
name  of  Mitchell  was  killed. 

"  By  this  time  the  traders  had  taken  off  their  packs 
and  piled  them  around  for  protection;  and  now  fall- 
ing to  work  with  their  hands,  they  very  soon  scratched 
out  a  trench  deep  enough  to  protect  them  from  the 
shot  of  the  enemy.  The  latter  made  several  desperate 
charges,  but  they  seemed  too  careful  of  their  own  per- 
sonal safety,  notwithstanding  the  enormous  superiority 
of  their  numbers,  to  venture  too  near  the  rifles  of  the 
Americans.  In  a  few  hours  all  the  animals  of  the  traders 


The  Commerce  of  the  Prairies  345 

were  either  killed  or  wounded,  but  no  personal  damage 
was  done  to  the  remaining  ten  men,  with  the  exception 
of  a  wound  in  the  thigh  received  by  one,  which  was  not 
at  the  time  considered  dangerous. 

"During  the  siege,  the  Americans  were  in  great  dan- 
ger of  perishing  from  thirst,  as  the  Indians  had  com- 
plete command  of  all  the  water  within  reach.  Starva- 
tion was  not  so  much  to  be  dreaded,  because,  in  cases 
of  necessity,  they  could  live  on  the  flesh  of  their  slain 
animals,  some  of  which  lay  stretched  close  around 
them.  After  being  pent  up  for  thirty-six  hours  in  this 
horrible  hole,  during  which  time  they  had  seldom  vent- 
ured to  raise  their  heads  above  the  surface  without 
being  shot  at,  they  resolved  to  make  a  bold  sortie  in  the 
night,  as  any  death  was  preferable  to  the  death  that 
awaited  them  there.  As  there  was  not  an  animal  left 
that  was  at  all  in  a  condition  to  travel,  the  owners  of 
the  money  gave  permission  to  all  to  take  and  appro- 
priate to  themselves  whatever  amount  each  man  could 
safely  undertake  to  carry.  In  this  way  they  started 
with  a  few  hundred  dollars,  of  which  but  little  ever 
reached  the  United  States.  The  remainder  was  buried 
deep  in  the  sand,  in  hope  that  it  might  escape  the  cu- 
pidity of  the  savages,  but  to  very  little  purpose,  for  they 
were  afterward  seen  by  some  Mexican  traders  making 
a  great  display  of  specie,  which  was  without  doubt 
taken  from  this  unfortunate  cache. 

"  With  every  prospect  of  being  discovered,  overtaken 
and  butchered,  but  resolved  to  sell  their  lives  as  dearly 
as  possible,  they  at  last  emerged  from  their  hiding- 


346  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

place,  and  moved  on  silently  and  slowly  until  they 
found  themselves  beyond  the  purlieus  of  the  Indian 
camps.  Often  did  they  look  back  in  the  direction 
where  three  to  five  hundred  savages  were  supposed  to 
watch  their  movements,  but,  much  to  their  astonish- 
ment, no  one  appeared  to  be  in  pursuit.  The  Indians, 
believing,  no  doubt,  that  the  property  of  the  traders 
would  come  into  their  hands,  and  having  no  amateur 
predilection  for  taking  scalps  at  the  risk  of  losing  their 
own,  appeared  willing  enough  to  let  the  spoliated  ad- 
venturers depart  without  further  molestation. 

"The  destitute  travellers,  having  run  themselves  short 
of  provisions,  and  being  no  longer  able  to  kill  game 
for  want  of  materials  to  load  their  rifles,  they  were  very 
soon  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  sustaining  life  upon 
roots  and  the  tender  bark  of  trees.  After  travelling 
for  several  days  in  this  desperate  condition,  with  lac- 
erated feet,  and  utter  prostration  of  mind  and  body, 
they  began  to  disagree  among  themselves  about  the 
route  to  be  pursued,  and  eventually  separated  into  two 
distinct  parties.  Five  of  these  unhappy  men  steered 
a  westward  course,  and  after  a  succession  of  suffer- 
ings and  privations  which  almost  surpassed  belief,  they 
reached  the  settlements  of  the  Creek  Indians,  near  the 
Arkansas  River,  where  they  were  treated  with  great 
kindness  and  hospitality.  The  other  five  wandered 
about  in  the  greatest  state  of  distress  and  bewilderment, 
and  only  two  finally  succeeded  in  getting  out  of  the 
mazes  of  the  wilderness."  Mooney,  Kiowa  Calendar, 
p.  255,  gives  the  account  of  this  occurrence  from  Kiowa 


The  Commerce  of  the  Prairies  347 

sources.  They  say  that  one  Indian,  Black  Wolf,  was 
killed  in  the  fight. 

After  many  difficulties,  Gregg  reached  Santa  Fe 
again,  and  prepared  to  start  south  for  Chihuahua, 
where  a  better  market  for  his  goods  was  expected. 
They  crossed  the  famous  Jornada  del  Muerto,  and 
reached  El  Paso  del  Norte,  and  at  last  Chihuahua. 
Here  was  a  country  devoted  to  cattle  raising;  the  herds, 
according  to  Gregg,  being  almost  as  numerous  as  those 
of  the  buffalo  on  the  northern  plains.  Some  time  was 
devoted  to  journeying  through  northern  Mexico. 

On  his  return  to  Santa  Fe,  Gregg,  having  ordered 
his  men  to  "rope  a  beef"  for  food,  from  the  herds 
which  covered  the  plains,  got  into  trouble  with  the 
Mexican  authorities,  and  was  greatly  delayed,  being 
taken  back  to  Chihuahua  and  tried  for  his  offence,  but 
acquitted  on  the  ground  of  ignorance  of  the  laws  and 
the  customs  of  the  country. 

Shortly  before  they  reached  the  Staked  Plains,  on 
their  return,  they  were  attacked  by  a  war-party  of 
Pawnees  on  foot,  who  succeeded  in  running  off  a  few 
of  the  horses  and  in  wounding  two  or  three  men. 
Their  Comanche  guide  took  them  safely  across  the 
plains,  until  at  last  they  reached  the  Canadian  River. 
Gregg  relates  of  the  wind  of  the  prairie:  "It  will 
often  blow  a  gale  for  days,  and  even  weeks  together, 
without  slacking  for  a  moment,  except  occasionally  at 
night.  It  is  for  this  reason,  as  well  as  on  account  of 
the  rains,  that  percussion  guns  are  preferable  upon  the 
prairies,  particularly  for  those  who  understand  their 


348  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

use.  The  winds  are  frequently  so  severe  as  to  sweep 
away  both  sparks  and  priming  from  a  flintlock,  and 
thus  render  it  wholly  ineffective." 

While  following  down  the  Canadian  they  found  buf- 
falo very  abundant,  and  the  gentleness  and  lack  of 
suspicion  of  the  animal  is  noted.  "On  one  occasion, 
two  or  three  hunters,  who  were  a  little  in  advance  of 
the  caravan,  perceiving  a  herd  quietly  grazing  in  an 
open  glade,  they  'crawled  upon'  them  after  the  manner 
of  the  'still-hunters/  Their  first  shot  having  brought 
down  a  fine  fat  cow,  they  slipped  up  behind  her,  and 
resting  their  guns  over  her  body,  shot  two  or  three 
others,  without  occasioning  any  serious  disturbance  or 
surprise  to  their  companions;  for,  extraordinary  as  it 
may  appear,  if  the  buffalo  neither  see  nor  smell  the 
hunter,  they  will  pay  but  little  attention  to  the  crack  of 
guns,  or  to  the  mortality  which  is  being  dealt  among 
them." 

Gregg's  praiseworthy  reflections  on  the  wanton  killing 
of  the  buffalo  are  made  in  entire  good  faith,  yet  only 
a  day  or  two  later  he  frankly  confesses  to  some  un- 
necessary killing  that  he  did  himself.  He  says  of  the 
excessive  destruction:  "The  slaughter  of  these  animals 
is  frequently  carried  to  an  excess,  which  shows  the  de- 
pravity of  the  human  heart  in  very  bold  relief.  Such 
is  the  excitement  that  generally  prevails  at  the  sight  of 
these  fat  denizens  of  the  prairies,  that  very  few  hunters 
appear  able  to  refrain  from  shooting  as  long  as  the 
game  remains  within  reach  of  their  rifles;  nor  can  they 
ever  permit  a  fair  shot  to  escape  them.  Whether  the 


The  Commerce  of  the  Prairies  349 

mere  pleasure  of  taking  life  is  the  incentive  of  these 
brutal  excesses,  I  will  not  pretend  to  decide;  but  one 
thing  is  very  certain,  that  the  buffalo  killed  on  these 
prairies  far  exceeds  the  wants  of  the  travellers;  or  what 
might  be  looked  upon  as  the  exigencies  of  rational 
sport."  In  a  foot-note  he  adds:  "The  same  barbarous 
propensity  is  observable  in  regard  to  wild  horses.  Most 
persons  appear  unable  to  restrain  this  wanton  inclina- 
tion to  take  life,  when  a  mustang  approaches  within 
rifle  shot.  Many  a  stately  steed  thus  falls  a  victim  to 
the  cruelty  of  man." 

In  April,  1840,  Gregg  reached  the  end  of  his  journey 
— his  last  trip  upon  the  plains.  He  was  as  susceptible 
as  other  men  have  shown  themselves  to  the  attractions 
of  the  free  life  of  the  prairie,  its  "sovereign  indepen- 
dence"; but  acknowledges  the  disadvantages  which 
follow  an  almost  entire  separation  from  one's  fellow- 
men.  Nevertheless,  "Since  that  time,"  he  says,  "I 
have  striven  in  vain  to  reconcile  myself  to  the  even  tenor 
of  civilized  life  in  the  United  States;  and  have  sought 
in  its  amusements  and  its  society  a  substitute  for  those 
high  excitements  which  have  attached  me  so  strongly 
to  prairie  life.  Yet  I  am  almost  ashamed  to  confess 
that  scarcely  a  day  passes  without  my  experiencing  a 
pang  of  regret  that  I  am  not  now  roving  at  large  upon 
those  Western  plains.  Nor  do  I  find  my  taste  peculiar; 
for  I  have  hardly  known  a  man  who  has  ever  become 
familiar  with  the  kind  of  life  which  I  have  led  for  so 
many  years,  that  has  not  relinquished  it  with  regret." 

In  his  account  of  animals  of  the  prairies,   Gregg 


350  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

names  first  the  mustang;  and  here  we  find  one  of  the 
earliest  mentions  of  a  traditional  wild  horse,  which  has 
come  down  in  many  a  story. 

"  The  beauty  of  the  mustang  is  proverbial/'  he  writes. 
"One  in  particular  has  been  celebrated  by  hunters,  of 
which  marvellous  stories  are  told.  He  has  been  repre- 
sented as  a  medium-sized  stallion  of  perfect  symmetry, 
milk-white,  save  a  pair  of  black  ears — a  natural  'pacer/ 
and  so  fleet,  it  is  said,  as  to  leave  far  behind  every 
horse  that  had  been  tried  in  pursuit  of  him,  without 
breaking  his  'pace/  But  I  infer  that  this  story  is  some- 
what mythical,  from  the  difficulty  which  one  finds  in 
fixing  the  abiding  place  of  its  equine  hero.  He  is 
familiarly  known,  by  common  report,  all  over  the  great 
prairies.  The  trapper  celebrates  him  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  northern  Rocky  Mountains;  the  hunter  on  the 
Arkansas  or  in  the  midst  of  the  plains,  while  others 
have  him  pacing  at  the  rate  of  half  a  mile  a  minute  on 
the  borders  of  Texas.  It  is  hardly  a  matter  of  surprise, 
then,  that  a  creature  of  such  an  ubiquitary  existence 
should  never  have  been  caught. 

"The  wild  horses  are  generally  well-formed,  with 
trim  and  clean  limbs;  still  their  elegance  has  been  much 
exaggerated  by  travellers,  because  they  have  seen  them 
at  large,  abandoned  to  their  wild  and  natural  gaiety. 
Then,  it  is  true,  they  appear  superb  indeed;  but  when 
caught  and  tamed,  they  generally  dwindle  down  to 
ordinary  ponies.  Large  droves  are  very  frequently 
seen  upon  the  prairies,  sometimes  of  hundreds  together, 
gambolling  and  curvetting  within  a  short  distance  of 


The  Commerce  of  the  Prairies  351 

the  caravans.  It  is  sometimes  difficult  to  keep  them 
from  dashing  among  the  loose  stock  of  the  traveller, 
which  would  be  exceedingly  dangerous,  for,  once  to- 
gether, they  are  hard  to  separate  again,  particularly 
if  the  number  of  mustangs  is  much  the  greatest.  It  is 
a  singular  fact,  that  the  gentlest  wagon-horse  (even 
though  quite  fagged  with  travel),  once  among  a  drove 
of  mustangs,  will  often  acquire  in  a  few  hours  all  the 
intractable  wildness  of  his  untamed  companions." 

It  is  many  years  since  the  real  mustang  has  been  seen 
on  the  prairie.  To-day  his  place  is  taken  by  the  range 
horse,  an  animal  of  very  different  character,  though  of 
similar  habits.  Yet,  we  well  recall  a  time,  long  before 
the  day  of  the  range,  and  its  cattle  or  horses,  when 
journeying  through  the  southern  country,  little  bands 
of  mustangs  could  sometimes  be  seen.  One  such, 
which  passed  once  close  to  our  command,  was  notice- 
able for  the  presence  among  its  numbers  of  a  gigantic 
mule,  which  it  had  picked  up  from  some  travelling 
party,  and  which  was  now  as  wild  as  the  horses  them- 
selves. 

Naturally,  Gregg  has  much  to  say  about  the  buffalo, 
and  he  voices  an  impression  which  long  had  currency, 
and  may  still  be  believed  by  people,  that  the  bulls  were 
sentinels  and  guards  for  the  cows  and  calves.  Speak- 
ing in  general  terms,  he  says:  "A  buffalo  cow  is  about 
as  heavy  as  a  common  ox,  while  a  large  fat  bull  will 
weigh  perhaps  double  as  much. 

"These  are  very  gregarious  animals.  At  some  sea- 
sons, however,  the  cows  rather  incline  to  keep  to  them- 


352  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

selves;  at  other  times  they  are  mostly  seen  in  the  cen- 
tre of  the  gang,  while  the  bulls  are  scattered  around, 
frequently  to  a  considerable  distance,  evidently  guard- 
ing the  cows  and  calves.  And  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
buffalo  range,  we  are  apt  to  meet  with  small  gangs  of 
bulls  alone,  a  day  or  two's  travel  distant,  as  though 
performing  the  office  of  ' pique  guards'  for  the  main 
herds." 

In  his  remarks  about  the  gray  wolf  and  its  habits, 
he  touches  on  the  question  as  to  whether  the  big  wolf  of 
America  ever  voluntarily  attacks  man.  He  says:  "I 
have  never  known  these  animals,  rapacious  as  they 
are,  extend  their  attacks  to  man,  though  they  probably 
would,  if  very  hungry,  and  a  favorable  opportunity  pre- 
sented itself.  I  shall  not  soon  forget  an  adventure  with 
one  of  them,  many  years  ago,  on  the  frontier  of  Mis- 
souri. Riding  near  the  prairie  border,  I  perceived  one 
of  the  largest  and  fiercest  of  the  gray  species,  which  had 
just  descended  from  the  west,  and  seemed  famished  to 
desperation.  I  at  once  prepared  for  a  chase  and,  being 
without  arms,  I  caught  up  a  cudgel,  when  I  betook  me 
valiantly  to  the  charge,  much  stronger,  as  I  soon  dis- 
covered, in  my  cause  than  in  my  equipment.  The  wolf 
was  in  no  humor  to  flee,  however,  but  boldly  met  me 
the  full  half-way.  I  was  soon  disarmed,  for  my  club 
broke  upon  the  animal's  head.  He  then  Maid  to'  my 
horse's  legs,  which,  not  relishing  the  conflict,  gave  a 
plunge  and  sent  me  whirling  over  his  head,  and  made 
his  escape,  leaving  me  and  the  wolf  at  close  quarters. 
I  was  no  sooner  upon  my  feet  than  my  antagonist  re- 


The  Commerce  of  the  Prairies  353 

newed  the  charge;  but,  being  without  weapon,  or  any 
means  of  awakening  an  emotion  of  terror,  save  through 
his  imagination,  I  took  off  my  large  black  hat,  and 
using  it  for  a  shield,  began  to  thrust  it  toward  his  gap- 
ing jaws.  My  ruse  had  the  desired  effect,  for,  after 
springing  at  me  a  few  times,  he  wheeled  about  and 
trotted  off  several  paces,  and  stopped  to  gaze  at  me. 
Being  apprehensive  that  he  might  change  his  mind  and 
return  to  the  attack,  and  conscious  that,  under  the 
compromise,  I  had  the  best  of  the  bargain,  I  very  res- 
olutely took  to  my  heels,  glad  of  the  opportunity  of 
making  a  draw  game,  though  I  had  myself  given  the 
challenge." 

Gregg  devotes  considerable  space  to  a  discussion  of 
the  aborigines  of  America,  and  among  these  he  men- 
tions most  of  the  prairie  tribes.  He  speaks  at  some 
length  of  what  we  now  call  the  civilized  tribes — that  is 
to  say,  the  Cherokees,  Creeks,  Choctaws,  Chickasaws, 
and  Seminoles.  He  notes  the  dreadful  evil  that  liquor 
has  created  among  the  Indians,  and  gives,  at  the  same 
time,  a  somewhat  amusing  account  of  the  Legislative 
Council  among  the  Choctaws,  where  whiskey  was  ban- 
ished from  the  nation:  "Many  and  long  were  the 
speeches  which  were  made,  and  much  enthusiasm  was 
created  against  the  monster  'whiskey/  and  all  his  brood 
of  compound  enormities.  Still  every  one  seemed  loth 
to  move  his  arrest  and  execution.  Finally,  a  captain 
of  more  than  ordinary  temerity  arose,  and  offered  a 
resolution  that  each  and  every  individual  who  should 
thenceforth  dare  to  introduce  any  of  the  liquid  curse 


354  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

into  their  country,  should  be  punished  with  a  hundred 
lashes  on  his  bare  back,  and  the  liquor  be  poured  out. 
This  was  passed,  after  some  slight  changes,  by  acclama- 
tion; but,  with  a  due  sense  of  the  injustice  of  ex-post- 
facto  restrictions,  all  those  who  had  liquors  on  hand 
were  permitted  to  sell  them.  The  council  adjourned; 
but  the  members  soon  began  to  canvass  among  each 
other  the  pernicious  consequences  which  might  result 
from  the  protracted  use  of  the  whiskey  already  in  the 
shops,  and  therefore  concluded  the  quicker  it  was 
drank  up  the  more  promptly  would  the  evil  be  over:  so, 
falling  to,  in  less  than  two  hours  Bacchus  never  mustered 
a  drunker  troop  than  were  these  same  temperance 
legislators.  The  consequences  of  their  determination 
were  of  lasting  importance  to  them.  The  law,  with 
some  slight  improvements,  has  ever  since  been  rigor- 
ously enforced." 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  Comanches,  while 
bitterly  at  war  with  the  Mexicans  and  the  Texans,  for 
very  many  years,  nevertheless,  cultivated  peace  with  the 
New  Mexicans,  "not  only  because  the  poverty  of  the 
country  offers  fewer  inducements  for  their  inroads,  but 
because  it  is  desirable,  as  with  the  interior  Mexican 
tribes,  to  retain  some  friendly  point  with  which  to  keep 
an  amicable  intercourse  and  traffic.  Parties  of  them 
have  therefore  sometimes  entered  the  settlements  of 
New  Mexico  for  trading  purposes;  while  every  season 
numerous  bands  of  New  Mexicans,  known  as  Coman- 
cheros,  supplied  with  arms,  ammunition,  trinkets,  pro- 
visions, and  other  .necessaries,  launch  upon  the  prairies 


The  Commerce  of  the  Prairies  355 

to  barter  for  mules,  and  the  different  fruits  of  their 
ravages  upon  the  south." 

Gregg's  history  of  these  first  beginnings  of  the  west- 
ward commerce  of  the  United  States  is  a  most  valuable 
and  interesting  repository  of  the  facts  of  the  period. 
It  purports  to  be  only  a  diary  of  a  trader,  but  actually 
it  is  history. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
SAMUEL  PARKER 

IN  the  year  1838  there  was  published  in  Ithaca, 
N.  Y.,  by  the  author,  the  Journal  of  an  Exploring 
Tour  Beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains,  Under  the 
Direction  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.,  Performed  in  the  Years 
1835,  '36,  and  '37;  Containing  a  Description  of  the 
Geography,  Geology,  Climate,  and  Productions;  and 
the  Number,  Manners,  and  Customs  of  the  Natives. 
With  a  Map  of  Oregon  Territory.  By  Rev.  Samuel 
Parker,  A.M. 

As  may  be  imagined  from  this  title,  Mr.  Parker  was 
a  missionary  whose  business  in  setting  out  into  the  wild 
West  was  to  spread  the  Gospel.  The  American  Board 
of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions  sent  him  out 
to  ascertain  by  personal  observation  the  condition  and 
character  of  the  Indian  nations  and  tribes,  and  the 
opportunities  for  introducing  the  Gospel  and  civiliza- 
tion among  them.  He  writes  in  a  more  or  less  ponder- 
ous style,  and  his  mind  is  dominated,  as  is  natural,  by 
the  missionary  idea,  to  such  an  extent  that  his  book 
at  times  even  has  something  of  the  flavor  of  some  of  the 
volumes  of  the  Jesuit  Relations. 

At  St.  Louis  Mr.  Parker  met  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman, 

356 


Samuel  Parker  357 


appointed  by  the  American  Board  to  be  his  associate  in 
his  western  explorations,  and  here  the  two  missionaries 
waited  for  a  time  until  the  caravan  which  they  were  to 
accompany  should  be  ready  to  start. 

Dr.  Whitman's  name  is  so  closely  connected  with  the 
securing  of  Oregon  Territory  by  the  United  States  that 
it  is  hardly  necessary  to  speak  of  him  at  any  length. 

Before  leaving  Liberty,  Mo.,  the  steamer  on  which 
they  were  travelling  broke  down,  and  it  became  neces- 
sary to  proceed  overland,  and  they  reached  Fort  Leaven- 
worth  early  in  May,  1835.  During  the  journey  Parker 
met  with  a  number  of  men  who,  at  various  times,  had 
had  close  intercourse  with  the  Wichitas  or  Pawnee 
Picts,  Comanches,  Navajoes,  and  Apaches;  and  from 
all  these  individuals  he  heard  accounts  which  made 
him  think  well  of  these  wild  and  distant  tribes,  and  of 
their  adaptability  to  Christianity  and  to  civilized  pur- 
suits. He  was  observant,  too,  of  the  local  Indians — 
lowas,  Sacs,  and  Foxes — and  was  favorably  impressed 
by  all. 

After  reaching  Council  Bluffs  there  was  a  long  wait 
before  the  caravan  set  out  on  its  western  journey. 
Much  is  said  of  the  Indians  inhabiting  this  region, 
Yanktons,  Omahas,  Poncas,  and  the  more  distant 
Mandans;  and  some  hints  are  given  as  to  the  mode  of 
life  of  these  tribes.  The  party  travelled  up  the  Platte, 
meeting  the  usual  difficulties  and  discouragements  at- 
tendant on  the  stormy  weather  in  summer.  Much  of 
the  time  they  were  drenched  to  the  skin.  Occasion- 
ally a  storm  of  hail  would  come,  which  scattered  their 


358  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

animals,  and  much  time  was  devoted  to  gathering  them 
again.  Travelling  westward,  the  two  Campbells  and 
Sublette,  with  a  few  men,  were  met  returning  from 
the  Black  Hills. 

The  apparently  fertile  bottom  lands  of  the  Platte, 
over  which  they  were  travelling,  greatly  impressed  the 
missionary,  who  prophesied  concerning  it  as  follows: 
"No  country  could  be  more  inviting  to  the  farmer, 
with  only  one  exception — the  want  of  woodland.  The 
latitude  is  sufficiently  high  to  be  healthy;  and  as  the 
climate  grows  warmer  as  we  travel  west,  until  we  ap- 
proach the  snow-topped  mountains,  there  is  a  degree 
of  mildness  not  experienced  east  of  the  Alleghany  Moun- 
tains. The  time  will  come,  and  probably  is  not  far 
distant,  when  this  country  will  be  covered  with  a  dense 
population.  The  earth  was  created  for  the  habitation 
of  man,  and  for  a  theatre  on  which  God  will  manifest 
his  perfections  in  his  moral  government  among  his 
moral  creatures,  and  therefore  the  earth,  according  to 
divine  prediction,  shall  be  given  to  the  people  of  God. 
Although  infidels  may  sneer,  and  scoffers  mock,  yet 
God  will  accomplish  His  designs  and  fulfill  every  promise 
contained  in  His  Word.  Then  this  amazing  extent  of 
most  fertile  land  will  not  continue  to  be  the  wandering 
ground  of  a  few  thousand  Indians,  with  only  a  very  few 
acres  under  cultivation;  nor  will  millions  of  tons  of 
grass  grow  up  to  rot  upon  the  ground,  or  to  be  burned 
up  with  the  fire  enkindled  to  sweep  over  the  prairie,  to 
disincumber  it  of  its  spontaneous  burden.  The  herds 
of  buffalo  which  once  fattened  upon  these  meadows 


Samuel  Parker  359 


are  gone;  and  the  deer  which  once  cropped  the  grass 
have  disappeared;  and  the  antelopes  have  fled  away; 
and  shall  solitude  reign  here  till  the  end  of  time  ?  No: 
here  shall  be  heard  the  din  of  business,  and  the  church- 
going  bell  shall  sound  far  and  wide/' 

Before  long  the  travellers  reached  the  Loup  Fork, 
which  they  crossed;  and  here  they  met  a  number  of 
Pawnee  Indians,  who  treated  them  with  great  courtesy 
and  kindness,  and  invited  them  to  feast  with  them. 
Reference  is  made  here  to  Messrs.  Dunbar  and  Allis, 
and  to  the  missionary  work  that  they  were  doing 
among  the  Pawnees. 

From  the  Pawnee  country  the  party  kept  on  up  the 
Platte,  through  the  open  country.  Here,  it  seems,  those 
Indians  most  feared  were  the  Arickaras,  not  the  Sioux 
and  Cheyennes,  as  was  the  case  thirty  years  later.  At 
this  time  that  tribe  was  said  to  have  gone  far  up  the 
south  fork  of  the  Platte  to  avoid  the  United  States 
dragoons,  under  command  of  Colonel  Dodge,  who  was 
pursuing  them.  As  Parker's  party  went  up  the  north 
fork  of  the  Platte,  he  speaks  of  "their  using  particular 
caution  to  be  prepared  for  an  attack  of  the  Arickaras, 
should  any  of  their  war  parties  be  about  us.  Every 
man  was  required  to  see  that  his  rifle  was  in  good  order, 
and  to  have  a  good  supply  of  powder  and  balls.  We 
all  slept  with  our  clothes  on,  so  that,  if  called  with  the 
sentinels'  fire,  we  might  in  less  than  a  moment  be  ready 
for  action." 

Here  is  a  word  about  the  animals  that  they  saw  next 
day  as  they  journeyed  on: 


360  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

"Saw,  on  the  i6th,  the  buffalo  in  great  numbers,  and 
in  nearer  view  than  previously.  They  are  less  shy  than 
those  we  first  found.  They  are  more  majestic  than  the 
elk,  but  less  beautiful.  The  antelopes,  some  of  which 
we  have  seen  for  several  days  past,  are  becoming  very 
numerous.  They  are  rightly  named,  for  their  speed  ex- 
ceeds any  animal  I  have  ever  seen.  Our  hounds  can  do 
nothing  in  giving  them  the  chase;  so  soon  are  they  left 
far  in  the  rear,  that  they  do  not  follow  them  more  than 
ten  or  twenty  rods  before  they  return,  looking  ashamed 
of  their  defeat.  Our  hunters  occasionally  take  some  of 
them  by  coming  upon  them  by  stealth.  When  they  are 
surprised,  they  start  forward  a  very  small  space,  and 
then  turn,  and  with  high-lifted  heads  stare  for  a  few 
seconds  at  the  object  which  has  alarmed  them,  and  then, 
with  a  half  whistling  snuff,  bound  off,  seeming  to  be  as 
much  upon  wings  as  upon  feet.  They  resemble  the 
goat,  but  are  far  more  beautiful." 

Court  House  Rock,  Chimney  Rock,  and  Scott's  Bluffs 
were  duly  passed.  Some  very  friendly  Ogallallahs  were 
met  with  just  before  they  reached  the  Laramie  River. 
Their  camp  that  night  was  close  to  the  fort.  Here  took 
place  one  of  the  days  of  revelry  and  carousing  which 
are  so  frequently  noted  in  these  old  books  as  occurring 
periodically.  There  were  dances  by  the  Indians,  and 
other  celebrations.  Keeping  on  up  the  Platte,  they 
passed  Independence  Rock  August  yth,  and  reached  the 
Sweetwater.  The  weather  was  now  growing  colder,  and 
ice  often  made  during  the  night. 

On  reaching  Green  River  they  came  to  the  rendezvous 


£t 


Q    - 

^  s 

1-1  H 


SI 

CJ     cu 


in     g 

Oi       O 


Samuel  Parker  361 


of  the  American  Fur  Company.  Who  was  in  command 
Parker  does  not  tell  us;  but  that  various  well-known  per- 
sons were  present  is  certain.  For  example,  "While  we 
continued  in  this  place,  Dr.  Whitman  was  called  to  per- 
form some  very  important  surgical  operations;  he  ex- 
tracted an  iron  arrow  three  inches  long  from  the  back  of 
Captain  Bridger,  which  he  had  received  in  a  skirmish 
three  years  before  with  the  Blackfeet  Indians.  It  was  a 
difficult  operation,  in  consequence  of  the  arrow  being 
hooked  at  the  point  by  striking  a  large  bone,  and  a 
cartilaginous  substance  had  grown  around  it.  The  Dr. 
pursued  the  operation  with  great  self-possession  and  per- 
severance, and  Captain  Bridger  manifested  equal  firm- 
ness. The  Indians  looked  on  while  the  operation  was 
proceeding  with  countenances  indicating  wonder,  and 
when  they  saw  the  arrow,  expressed  their  astonishment 
in  a  manner  peculiar  to  themselves.  The  skill  of  Dr. 
Whitman  undoubtedly  made  upon  them  a  favorable  im- 
pression. He  also  took  another  arrow  from  under  the 
shoulder  of  one  of  the  hunters  which  had  been  there  two 
years  and  a  half." 

Here  Parker  consulted  the  Flatheads  and  Nez  Perces, 
asking  them  if  they  would  be  willing  to  receive  a  minis- 
ter of  the  Gospel.  They  needed  no  persuasion,  but 
agreed  to  allow  him  to  come  to  them,  and  so  cordial  was 
their  response,  that  it  seemed  best  that  Dr.  Whitman 
should  return  with  the  caravan,  enlist  some  more  work- 
ers, and  return  the  next  year  with  another  caravan,  to 
establish  a  mission  among  these  people.  Dr.  Whitman 
at  first  was  unwilling  to  leave  his  fellow  missionary  to  go 
on  alone,  but  finally  did  so. 


362  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

During  another  day  of  drunkenness  a  fight  took  place 
at  the  rendezvous.  "A  hunter,  who  goes  technically  by 
the  name  of  the  great  bully  of  the  mountains,  mounted 
his  horse  with  a  loaded  rifle,  and  challenged  any  French- 
man, American,  Spaniard  or  Dutchman  to  fight  him  in 
single  combat.  Kit  Carson,  an  American,  told  him  if 
he  wished  to  die,  he  would  accept  the  challenge.  Shu- 
nar  defied  him.  Carson  mounted  his  horse,  and  with  a 
loaded  pistol  rushed  into  close  contact,  and  both  almost 
at  the  same  instant  fired.  Carson's  ball  entered  Shunar's 
hand,  came  out  at  the  wrist,  and  passed  through  the  arm 
above  the  elbow.  Shunar's  ball  passed  over  the  head 
of  Carson,  and  while  he  went  for  another  pistol,  Shunar 
begged  that  his  life  might  be  spared." 

Parker  had  arranged  to  travel  on  with  the  Flatheads. 
The  chief  of  these  gave  him  a  young  man  as  an  assist- 
ant, and  Parker  secured  a  voyageur  who  understood 
English  and  Nez  Perce.  Parker  and  his  Indian  friends 
started,  August  21,  in  company  with  Bridger,  whose 
way  led  in  the  same  direction  as  theirs.  Bridger  had 
about  fifty  men.  They  followed  up  the  stream  to  Jack- 
son's Hole,  and  encamped  on  a  small  stream  which  the 
author  says  is  one  of  the  upper  branches  of  the  Colum- 
bia River.  He  says  something  about  the  difficulties  of 
travel  and  the  narrow  passages  which  it  was  necessary 
to  traverse,  and  which  he  calls  "kenyans."  This  term 
is  found  more  or  less  frequently  in  these  old  books  by 
persons  who  seem  to  have  written  it  down  only  from 
hearing  the  word  spoken.  Near  Jackson's  Hole  he 
climbed  one  of  the  high  mountains,  and  was  greatly  im- 
pressed by  what  he  saw.  One  day  while  travelling 


Samuel  Parker  363 


through  the  mountains  "a  number  of  buffalo,  which 
were  pursued  by  our  Indians,  came  rushing  down  the 
side  of  the  mountain  through  the  midst  of  our  company. 
One  ran  over  a  horse,  on  the  back  of  which  was  a 
child,  and  threw  the  child  far  down  the  descent,  but  it 
providentially  was  not  materially  injured.  Another 
ran  over  a  packed  horse  and  wounded  it  deeply  in 
the  shoulders." 

Mr.  Parker  evidently  enjoyed  the  companionship  of 
the  Indians,  whom  he  seems  to  have  regarded  with  most 
pleasant  feelings.  He  says:  "The  Indians  are  very  kind 
to  each  other,  and  if  one  meets  with  any  disaster,  the 
others  will  wait  and  assist  him.  Their  horses  often  turn 
their  packs  and  run,  plunge  and  kick,  until  they  free 
themselves  from  their  burdens.  Yesterday  a  horse 
turned  his  saddle  under  him  upon  which  a  child  was  fas- 
tened, and  started  to  run,  but  those  near  hovered  at  once 
around  with  their  horses  so  as  to  inclose  the  one  to  which 
the  child  was  attached,  and  it  was  extricated  without 
hurt.  When  I  saw  the  condition  of  the  child,  I  had  no 
expectation  that  it  could  be  saved  alive." 

A  little  later,  still  speaking  of  the  children,  he  says  of 
the  Indians:  "They  are  so  well  supplied  with  horses  that 
every  man,  woman  and  child  are  mounted  on  horseback, 
and  all  they  have  is  packed  upon  horses.  Small  chil- 
dren, not  more  than  three  years  old,  are  mounted  alone, 
and  generally  upon  colts.  They  are  lashed  upon  the 
saddle  to  keep  them  from  falling,  and  especially  when 
they  go  asleep,  which  they  often  do  when  they  become 
fatigued.  Then  they  recline  upon  the  horse's  shoulders; 


364  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

and  when  they  awake,  they  lay  hold  of  their  whip,  which 
is  fastened  to  the  wrist  of  their  right  hand,  and  apply  it 
smartly  to  their  horses;  and  it  is  astonishing  to  see  how 
these  little  creatures  will  guide  and  run  them.  Children 
which  are  still  younger  are  put  into  an  encasement  made 
with  a  board  at  the  back,  and  a  wicker-work  around  the 
other  parts,  covered  with  cloth  inside  and  without,  or 
more  generally  with  dressed  skins;  and  they  are  carried 
upon  the  mother's  back,  or  suspended  from  a  high  nob 
upon  the  fore  part  of  their  saddles." 

Still  moving  westward,  early  in  September  they  met  a 
band  of  Nez  Perces.  They  came  to  Parker's  camp  about 
the  middle  of  the  day,  "the  principal  chief  marching  in 
front  with  his  aid,  carrying  an  American  flag  by  his  side. 
They  all  sung  a  march,  while  a  few  beat  a  sort  of  drum. 
As  they  drew  near,  they  displayed  columns,  and  made 
quite  an  imposing  appearance.  The  women  and  chil- 
dren followed  in  the  rear." 

The  next  day's  diary  is  devoted  almost  entirely  to  an 
account  of  missionary  work,  in  which  the  author  gives 
an  extract  of  the  various  sermons  that  he  preached  to 
the  Indians,  who  received  his  teachings  with  great  pa- 
tience and  interest.  By  this  time  the  party  was  out  of 
provisions,  and  all  were  getting  hungry,  but  no  game 
was  seen.  However,  on  September  9,  buffalo  were 
viewed,  and  preparations  were  made  to  chase  them. 
All  the  best  hunters  chose  their  swiftest  horses,  and  see- 
ing that  their  arms  were  in  good  order,  made  ready  for 
the  run;  while  Parker  did  what  he  could  by  lifting  up 
"my  heart  in  prayer  to  God,  that  He  would  give  them 


Samuel  Parker  365 


judgment,  skill  and  success.  They  advanced  toward 
the  herd  of  buffalo  with  great  caution,  lest  they  should 
frighten  them  before  they  should  make  a  near  approach; 
and  also  to  reserve  the  power  of  their  horses  for  the  chase 
when  it  should  be  necessary  to  bring  it  into  full  requisi- 
tion. When  the  buffalo  took  the  alarm  and  fled,  the 
rush  was  made,  each  Indian  selecting  for  himself  a  cow 
with  which  he  happened  to  come  into  the  nearest  con- 
tact. All  were  in  swift  motion  scouring  the  valley;  a 
cloud  of  dust  began  to  arise,  firing  of  guns  and  shooting 
of  arrows  followed  in  close  succession;  soon  here  and 
there  buffalo  were  seen  prostrated,  and  the  women,  who 
followed  close  in  the  rear,  began  the  work  of  securing 
the  valuable  acquisition,  and  the  men  were  away  again 
in  pursuit  of  the  fleeing  herd.  Those  in  the  chase  when 
as  near  as  two  rods  shoot  and  wheel,  expecting  the 
wounded  animal  to  turn  upon  them.  The  horses  ap- 
peared to  understand  the  way  to  avoid  danger.  As 
soon  as  the  wounded  animal  flies  again,  the  chase  is  re- 
newed, and  such  is  the  alternate  wheeling  and  chasing 
until  the  buffalo  sinks  beneath  its  wounds.  They  ob- 
tained between  fifty  and  sixty,  which  was  a  signal 
mercy." 

Not  long  after  this,  the  Nez  Perces  and  Flatheads  left 
them,  wishing  to  remain  in  the  buffalo  range  to  secure 
their  winter's  meat.  Before  going  away,  however,  they 
presented  Parker  with  twenty  tongues  and  a  large  quan- 
tity of  dried  meat.  About  a  hundred  and  fifty  of  the 
Indians  kept  on  down  Salmon  River  with  the  mission- 
aries; and  not  long  afterward  they  had  a  tremendous 


366  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

Indian  scare,  supposing  that  they  were  about  to  be  at- 
tacked by  the  Blackfeet.  A  little  investigation,  how- 
ever, showed  that  what  had  been  seen  were  buffalo, 
and  not  Blackfeet,  and  food  again  became  plenty  in  the 
camp. 

Parker  appears  to  have  been  a  man  of  considerable 
attainments.  He  remarks  upon  the  geology  of  the 
region  he  passes  through;  enumerates  the  birds  and 
mammals  which  he  sees,  and  has  much  to  say  about 
the  habits  and  characteristics  of  the  Indians;  and  inter- 
spersed through  all  are  frequent  references  to  the  Deity, 
His  wishes  and  purposes  as  interpreted  by  the  mission- 
ary, together  with  earnest  aspirations  for  the  spread  of 
the  Gospel  among  the  red  people. 

Walla  Walla  was  reached  early  in  October,  and  there, 
at  the  post  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  Parker  was 
received  by  Mr.  Pambrun  with  great  hospitality.  For 
this  the  guest  was  very  grateful,  and  he  says  many  good 
words  concerning  the  kindly  people  and  the  company 
which  they  represented;  words  which  are  not  only  good 
but  true. 

After  a  day  or  two  of  rest  at  Walla  Walla,  the  mis- 
sionary started  down  the  river  in  a  canoe  with  three 
Walla  Walla  Indians,  and  before  long  stopped  at  a  camp 
of  Cayuse  Indians,  with  whom,  however,  he  was  unable 
to  communicate.  He  noticed  that  all  along  the  river  as 
he  passed,  the  Indians,  though  of  different  tribes, 
seemed  to  be  on  good  terms  with  one  another,  a  condi- 
tion which  was  inevitable  from  the  fact  that  all  these 
Indians  drew  their  support  from  the  river,  to  which 


Samuel  Parker  367 


they  resorted  for  salmon,  and  coming  there  for  pro- 
visions, could  not  have  afforded  to  fight,  even  had  they 
wished  to. 

At  the  Dalles,  Parker  met  Captain  Wyeth,  from  Bos- 
ton, with  whom,  it  will  be  remembered,  Townsend  and 
Nuttall  had  journeyed  westward  the  year  before.  A 
little  above  the  Cascades  he  met  the  first  Chenooks, 
which  he  denominates  "the  only  real  Flatheads  and  Nez 
Perces,  or  pierced  noses,  I  have  found.  They  flatten 
their  heads  and  pierce  their  noses.  The  flattening  of 
their  heads  is  not  so  great  a  deformity  as  is  generally 
supposed.  From  a  little  above  the  eyes  to  the  apex  or 
crown  of  the  head  there  is  a  depression,  but  not  gener- 
ally in  adult  persons  very  noticeable.  The  piercing  of 
the  nose  is  more  of  a  deformity,  and  is  done  by  inserting 
two  small  tapering  white  shells,  about  two  inches  long, 
somewhat  in  the  shape  of  a  thorn,  through  the  lower  part 
of  the  cartilaginous  division  of  the  nose."  While  fol- 
lowing the  trail  along  the  river,  he  came  to  a  pleasant 
rise  of  ground,  upon  which  were  several  houses  of  a 
forsaken  village,  which  were  both  larger  and  far  better 
than  any  he  had  hitherto  seen  in  any  Indian  country. 
They  were  about  sixty  feet  long  and  thirty-five  wide,  the 
frame  work  very  well  constructed,  and  covered  with  split 
planks  and  cedar  bark.  These  houses  thus  greatly  re- 
semble those  seen  in  recent  times  on  the  coast  of  portions 
of  British  Columbia.  The  next  day  Mr.  Parker  reached 
Fort  Vancouver,  the  Hudson's  Bay  post,  where  Dr.  J. 
McLaughlin,  a  chief  factor  of  the  company,  received 
him  very  kindly.  From  here  Parker  went  on  down  the 


368  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

river,  and  reached  the  brig  "  May  Dacre,"  of  Boston, 
belonging  to  the  Wyeth  Company.  Here  he  met  Dr. 
Townsend,  and  before  long  they  set  sail  down  the 
river,  and  reached  Astoria,  the  far-famed  New  York  of 
the  West. 

The  Indians  of  the  country  beyond  the  Continental 
Divide  through  which  Parker  passed,  he  divides  into 
those  of  the  plains,  which  live  in  the  upper  country  from 
the  falls  of  the  Columbia  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and 
those  of  the  lower  country,  between  the  shores  of  the 
Pacific  and  the  falls  of  the  Columbia  River.  He  ob- 
serves that  the  first  of  these  divisions  are  remarkable  for 
their  cleanliness;  that  they  are  well  supplied  with  horses, 
which  are  very  cheap,  a  good  horse  selling  for  not  more 
than  enough  to  purchase  a  blanket  or  a  few  small  articles 
of  merchandise.  As  to  their  habits,  he  declares  that  the 
Indians  of  the  plains  are  not  lazy,  as  they  are  commonly 
supposed  to  be,  for  he  rarely  saw  any  of  those  Indians 
without  their  being  engaged  in  some  pursuit.  To  him 
the  Indians  appeared  as  they  since  have  to  others — not 
especially  different  from  other  people.  They  have  the 
same  natural  propensities,  and  the  same  social  affections. 
"They  are  cheerful  and  often  gay,  sociable,  kind  and 
affectionate;  and  anxious  to  receive  instruction  in  what- 
ever may  conduce  to  their  happiness  here  or  hereafter." 
They  have  but  few  manufactures,  and  those  are  the 
most  plain  and  simple. 

He  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  these  Indians  have 
no  wars  among  themselves,  and  appear  averse  to  all 
wars,  not  entering  into  battle  except  in  self-defence. 


Samuel  Parker  369 


Their  only  enemies  are  the  Blackfoot  Indians,  whose 
country  is  along  the  east  border  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  who  are  constantly  roaming  about  in 
parties  on  both  sides  of  the  mountains  in  quest  of 
plunder.  When  the  Indians  on  the  West  side  meet  with 
these  war  parties  they  endeavor  to  avoid  an  encounter, 
but  if  compelled  to  fight,  "show  a  firm,  undaunted, 
unconquerable  spirit,  and  rush  upon  their  enemies 
with  the  greatest  impetuosity."  When  an  enemy  is 
discovered,  every  horse  is  driven  into  camp,  and  the 
women  take  charge  of  them,  while  every  man  seizes  his 
weapons,  mounts  his  horse,  and  waits,  firm  and  undis- 
mayed, to  see  if  hostilities  must  ensue.  Very  frequently 
when  the  Blackfeet  see  white  men  with  the  Nez  Perces 
and  Flatheads,  they  decline  battle,  even  though  they 
themselves  may  be  far  superior  in  numbers,  for  they 
know  that  the  white  man  can  furnish  a  large  supply 
of  ammunition  on  such  occasions.  The  Nez  Perce  or 
Flathead  chief  will  accept  the  pipe,  explaining  as  he 
does  so  that  he  knows  the  Blackfeet  mean  war,  al- 
though they  pretend  peace. 

The  Indians  were  great  gamblers,  especially  at  run- 
ning horses  and  in  foot-races.  Drunkenness  was  a  vice 
as  yet  strange  to  these  Indians,  but  Parker  predicted  that 
it  would  come  to  them  so  soon  as  it  was  possible  to  trans- 
port liquor  to  them.  He  describes  the  method  of  doctor- 
ing by  a  medicine  man,  and  the  practice  of  the  sudatory 
or  sweat  bath.  All  this  is  of  the  plains  Indians. 

Those  of  the  lower  country  are  of  less  attractive  type 
than  the  others.  As  their  subsistence  depends  almost 


Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 


entirely  on  fish,  they  are  less  well  clad,  for  they  have  not 
the  same  opportunity  to  obtain  skins  as  the  people  of  the 
buffalo  country.  Liquor  had  been  brought  into  the 
lower  country,  and  the  Indians  were  slaves  to  it. 

These  Indians  believe  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul, 
and  that  in  the  future  state  we  shall  have  the  same  wants 
as  in  this  life.  Thus,  in  1829,  tne  w^e  °f  an  influential 
chief  of  the  Chenooks,  near  Cape  Disappointment,  killed 
two  female  slaves,  which  should  attend  her  child  to  the 
world  of  spirits,  and  especially  should  row  her  canoe  to 
the  Happy  Hunting  Ground  in  the  South. 

As  the  wealth  of  the  upper  Indians  is  estimated  in 
their  horses,  so  those  of  the  lower  country  count  their 
property  by  the  number  of  their  wives,  slaves,  and 
canoes.  Special  attention  is  called  to  the  excellent 
canoes  which  they  make,  and  also  to  the  baskets  woven 
so  closely  as  to  hold  water,  and  to  be  used  for  pails. 
Of  course,  they  were  also  used  as  pots  in  which  to  cook 
fish  and  mush. 

After  having  spent  the  winter  on  the  Columbia,  Parker 
set  out  in  May  to  revisit  the  Nez  Perces.  He  reached 
them  in  a  short  time,  and,  as  it  happened,  came  to  a  vil- 
lage just  as  a  little  child  was  being  buried.  The  Ind- 
ians had  prepared  a  cross  to  be  set  up  at  the  grave,  very 
likely  having  been  taught  to  do  so  by  some  Iroquois  Ind- 
ians, of  whom  there  were  not  a  few  trapping  in  the 
country;  and  here  appears  the  bigotry  of  the  missionary 
of  that,  and  indeed  of  later  days  as  well,  for  Parker  says: 
"But  as  I  viewed  a  cross  of  wood  made  by  men's  hands, 
of  no  avail  to  benefit  either  the  dead  or  the  living,  and  far 


Samuel  Parker  371 


more  likely  to  operate  as  a  salve  to  a  guilty  conscience, 
or  a  stepping  stone  to  idolatry,  than  to  be  understood  in 
its  spiritual  sense  to  refer  to  the  crucifixion  of  our  sins, 
I  took  this,  which  the  Indians  had  prepared,  and  broke 
it  to  pieces.  I  then  told  them  we  place  a  stone  at 
the  head  and  foot  of  the  grave  only  to  mark  the  place; 
and  without  a  murmur  they  cheerfully  acquiesced,  and 
adopted  our  custom." 

Parker  appears  to  have  regarded  the  Nez  Perce  Ind- 
ians as  especially  adapted  to  conversion,  and  laments 
that  he  is  unable  to  speak  their  language,  and  thus  to 
communicate  with  them  directly.  Parker  was  an  active 
and  conscientious  person,  and  evidently  wished  to  see 
all  he  could  of  the  country  to  which  he  had  been  sent. 
He  set  out  from  the  Nez  Perces  for  the  Colville  coun- 
try, meeting  Spokanes,  Cayuses,  Coeur  d'Alenes,  and  a 
number  of  other  small  tribes.  Returning,  he  was  un- 
able to  get  transportation  down  the  Columbia  River, 
and  was  obliged  to  take  horses  for  Fort  Okanagan. 
The  journey  was  long  and  very  dry,  and  the  party  suf- 
fered more  of  less  from  thirst.  At  Fort  Okanagan  he 
took  a  boat  to  run  down  the  river  four  hundred  miles  to 
Walla  Walla,  which  he  reached  in  safety.  Toward  the 
end  of  June  he  took  ship  for  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and 
in  December,  1836,  sailed  on  board  the  "Phoenix" 
for  his  home  in  the  East.  After  a  stormy  passage  he 
reached  New  London,  May  18,  and  five  days  later, 
after  two  years  and  two  months  of  absence,  and  jour- 
neyings  which  covered  twenty-eight  thousand  miles, 
arrived  at  his  home  at  Ithaca,  N.  Y. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 
THOMAS  J.  FARNHAM 


A  CURIOUS  little  book,  the  title-page  of  which 
bears  the  date  1841,  is  Thomas  J.  Farnham's, 
Travels    in    the    Great    Western    Prairies,    The 
Anahuac  and  Rocky  Mountains,  And  in  The  Oregon 
Territory.     It  was  published  in  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y., 
by  Killey  &  Lossing,  printers.     It  contains  nearly  two 
hundred  pages,  and  is  printed  in  very  fine  type,  and  on 
thin  paper,  with  small  margins;  so  that  in  fact  it  looks 
more  like  a  tract  than  a  volume.     Yet  it  contains  about 
a  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  words. 

Its  title  indicates  the  character  of  the  book.  It  is  the 
narrative  of  a  journey  made  in  order  to  obtain  "  a  view 
of  the  Great  Prairie  Wilderness,  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
and  the  sweet  vales  of  the  Oregon  Territory." 

Farnham  was  one  of  a  party  of  fourteen  men  who  left 
Peoria,  111.,  on  the  first  day  of  May,  1839.  The  com- 
pany was  followed  by  a  wagon  containing  their  provi- 
sions, ammunition,  and  other  baggage,  and  each  man 
carried  "a  rifle  swung  at  his  back;  a  powder  horn,  bullet 
pouch  and  long  knife  at  his  side." 

372 


C    8 


Thomas  J.  Farnham  373 

Their  way  westward  was  marked  by  no  adventure, 
except  the  usual  ones  of  travel  on  the  prairie;  but  at 
Quincy  the  author  met  Joe  Smith,  Jr.,  the  father  of  the 
Mormon  prophet,  and  he  interrupts  his  narrative  to  give 
a  somewhat  extended  account  of  Mormonism  and  the 
history  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints  up  to  that  time.  From 
Quincy  they  passed  on  to  Independence,  Mo.,  twenty 
days  out  from  their  starting  point.  Here  the  travellers 
beheld  a  sight  novel  to  them — the  breaking  of  green 
mules  to  harness;  and  after  some  time  devoted  to  loiter- 
ing about  Independence,  and  making  preparations  for 
their  journey,  they  started  westward  in  a  storm. 

Farnham's  party  followed  the  track  of  the  Santa  Fe 
traders,  and,  like  others  who  passed  over  this  road,  they 
met  with  the  Kauzaus  (Kansas)  Indians,  whom  they 
saw  and  wondered  at.  Early  in  the  trip,  near  the  Osage 
River,  the  members  of  Farnham's  company  began  to 
weary  of  prairie  life,  and  three  of  his  best  men  deter- 
mined to  return  to  the  "States,"  and  left  him.  The 
journey  continued  along  the  Santa  Fe  trail,  but  provis- 
ions began  to  grow  short.  Game  was  seen  from  time  to 
time,  but  none  was  killed.  Continual  storms  drenched 
them,  wet  their  packs  and  their  ropes,  and  made  life 
more  or  less  of  a  burden  to  them.  At  last,  however,  in 
the  latter  half  of  June,  they  came  to  the  buffalo  range, 
overtaking  there  a  party  of  Santa  Fe  traders. 

Buffalo  now  began  to  be  found,  and  the  party  killed 
their  first  one,  "a  noble  bull;  a  mountain  of  flesh  weigh- 
ing at  least  three  thousand  pounds."  This  relieved 
their  necessities,  but  they  were  anxious,  because  of  the 


374  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

prospect  of  soon  meeting  Indians — Caws,  Pawnees,  or 
Comanches,  or  all  three.  And  now,  to  make  things 
worse,  one  of  the  men  of  the  party  accidentally  shot  him- 
self with  his  own  rifle.  For  a  day  or  two  he  was  carried 
in  one  of  the  wagons  belonging  to  the  Santa  Fe  caravan, 
but  presently  Farnham's  party  turned  off  from  this  trail, 
and  then  the  wounded  man  was  obliged  either  to  ride  a 
horse  or  travel  in  a  litter.  Experiment  soon  showed, 
however,  that  the  last  method  of  travelling  was  imprac- 
ticable, and  it  was  necessary  for  the  man  to  ride.  His 
wound  became  inflamed  and  painful,  but  the  constant 
care  of  the  author  made  life  much  easier  for  the  wounded 
man.  "June  23,  the  buffalo  were  more  numerous  than 
ever.  They  were  ranged  in  long  lines  from  the  eastern 
to  the  western  horizon.  The  bulls  were  forty  or  fifty 
yards  in  advance  of  the  bands  of  cows,  to  which  they 
severally  intended  to  give  protection.  And  as  the  mov- 
ing embankment  of  wagons,  led  by  an  advanced  guard, 
and  flanked  by  horsemen  riding  slowly  from  front  to 
rear,  and  guarded  in  the  rear  by  men,  made  its  majestic 
way  along,  these  fiery  cavaliers  would  march  each  to  his 
own  band  of  dames  and  misses,  with  an  air  that  seemed 
to  say,  'we  are  here';  and  then  back  again  to  their  lines, 
with  great  apparent  satisfaction,  that  they  were  able  to 
do  battle  for  their  sweet  ones  and  their  native  plains." 
Farnham  says  that  during  three  days  they  passed  over 
a  country  so  completely  covered  by  buffalo  that  it  ap- 
peared oftentimes  dangerous  even  for  the  immense 
cavalcade  of  the  Santa  Fe  traders  to  attempt  to  break 
its  way  through  them.  He  figures  that  they  travelled 


Thomas  J.  Farnham  375 

over  one  thousand  three  hundred  and  fifty  square  miles 
of  territory  so  thickly  covered  with  buffalo  that,  when 
viewed  from  a  height,  it  scarcely  afforded  a  sight  of  a 
square  league  of  its  surface.  Soon  after  this,  disaffec- 
tion showed  itself  in  the  ranks  of  Farnham' s  company, 
and  it  was  proposed  to  abandon  the  wounded  man,  the 
mutineers  declaring  that  he  would  die  in  any  event,  and 
that  it  was  not  worth  while  to  delay  the  whole  party  to 
await  that  event. 

Now,  too,  a  jealousy  as  to  the  command  arose.  There 
was  a  bully  who  determined  to  frighten  Farnham  into 
abdicating  the  leadership  of  the  party  in  his  favor. 

At  last  they  reached  Fort  William,  or  Bent's  Fort,  on 
the  Arkansas,  and  on  account  of  the  differences  which 
had  sprung  up  within  the  party,  it  was  decided  to  dis- 
band here.  The  property  owned  in  common  was  to  be 
divided  up  among  the  members  of  the  expedition,  and 
they  were  to  go  their  several  ways.  As  it  turned  out, 
Farnham  and  a  few  others  went  on  together. 

"Fort  William,"  he  says,  "is  owned  by  three  brothers 
by  the  name  of  Bent,  from  St.  Louis.  Two  of  them 
were  at  the  post  when  we  arrived  there.  They  seemed 
to  be  thoroughly  initiated  into  Indian  life;  dressed  like 
chiefs;  in  moccasins,  thoroughly  garnished  with  beads 
and  porcupine  quills;  in  trousers  of  deerskin,  with  long 
fringes  of  the  same  extending  along  the  outer  seam  from 
the  ankle  to  the  hip;  in  the  splendid  hunting  shirt  of  the 
same  material,  with  sleeves  fringed  on  the  elbow-seam 
from  the  wrist  to  the  shoulder,  and  ornamented  with 
figures  of  porcupine  quills  of  various  colors,  and  leathern 


376  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

fringe  around  the  lower  edge  of  the  body.  And  chiefs 
they  were  in  the  authority  exercised  in  their  wild  and 
lonely  fortress." 

The  country  in  which  the  fort  was  situated  was  then 
the  common  hunting-ground  of  several  buffalo  tribes, 
unfriendly  alike  to  one  another  and  the  whites.  The 
Utaws  and  Cheyennes,  the  Pawnees  and  the  Comanches 
gathered  here  in  summer  to  hunt  the  buffalo;  and  thus, 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  post,  there  might  be  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  thousand  savages,  "  ready  and  panting 
for  plunder  and  blood."  If  the  Indians  engaged  in  fight- 
ing had  their  own  battles  among  themselves,  the  people 
of  Bent's  Fort  felt  safe;  but  if  the  Indians  kept  the 
peace  among  themselves,  there  was  great  anxiety  at  Fort 
William. 

"Instances  of  the  daring  intrepidity  of  the  Comanches 
that  occurred  just  before  and  after  my  arrival  here,  will 
serve  to  show  the  hazard  and  dangers  of  which  I  have 
spoken.  About  the  middle  of  June,  1839,  a  band  of  sixty 
of  them  under  cover  of  night  crossed  the  river  and  con- 
cealed themselves  among  the  bushes  that  grow  thickly 
on  the  bank  near  the  place  where  the  animals  of  the 
establishment  feed  during  the  day.  No  sentinel  being 
on  duty  at  the  time,  their  presence  was  unobserved,  and 
when  morning  came  the  Mexican  horse  guard  mounted 
his  horse,  and  with  the  noise  and  shouting  usual  with 
that  class  of  servants  when  so  employed,  rushed  his 
charge  out  of  the  fort;  and  riding  rapidly  from  side  to 
side  of  the  rear  of  the  band,  urged  them  on,  and  soon 
had  them  nibbling  the  short  dry  grass  in  the  little  vale 


Thomas  J.  Farnham  377 

within  grape-shot  distance  of  the  guns  of  the  bastions. 
It  is  customary  for  a  guard  of  animals  about  these  trad- 
ing posts  to  take  his  station  beyond  his  charge;  and  if 
they  stray  from  each  other,  or  attempt  to  stroll  too  far, 
he  drives  them  together,  and  thus  keeps  them  in  the  best 
possible  situation  to  be  driven  hastily  to  the  corral, 
should  the  Indians,  or  other  evil  persons,  swoop  down 
upon  them.  And  as  there  is  constant  danger  of  this,  his 
horse  is  held  by  a  long  rope,  and  grazes  around  him, 
that  he  may  be  mounted  quickly  at  the  first  alarm  for  a 
retreat  within  the  walls.  The  faithful  guard  at  Bent's, 
on  the  morning  of  the  disaster  I  am  relating,  had  dis- 
mounted after  driving  out  his  animals,  and  sat  upon  the 
ground  watching  with  the  greatest  fidelity  for  every  call 
of  duty;  when  these  fifty  or  sixty  Indians  sprang  from 
their  hiding  places,  ran  upon  the  animals,  yelling  hor- 
ribly, and  attempted  to  drive  them  across  the  river. 
The  guard,  however,  nothing  daunted,  mounted  quickly, 
and  drove  his  horse  at  full  speed  among  them.  The 
mules  and  horses  hearing  his  voice  amidst  the  frighten- 
ing yells  of  the  savages,  immediately  started  at  a  lively 
pace  for  the  fort;  but  the  Indians  were  on  all  sides  and 
bewildered  them.  The  guard  still  pressed  them  onward 
and  called  for  help:  and  on  they  rushed,  despite  the 
efforts  of  the  Indians  to  the  contrary.  The  battlements 
were  covered  with  men.  They  shouted  encouragement 
to  the  brave  guard — '  Onward !  onward ! '  and  the  injunc- 
tion was  obeyed.  He  spurred  his  horse  to  his  greatest 
speed  from  side  to  side,  and  whipped  the  hindermost 
of  the  band  with  his  leading  rope.  He  had  saved  every 


378  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

animal;  he  was  within  twenty  yards  of  the  open  gate;  he 
fell;  three  arrows  from  the  bows  of  the  Comanches  had 
cloven  his  heart.  And  relieved  of  him,  the  lords  of  the 
quiver  gathered  their  prey,  and  drove  them  to  the  bor- 
ders of  Texas,  without  injury  to  life  or  limb.  I  saw  this 
faithful  guard's  grave.  He  had  been  buried  a  few  days. 
The  wolves  had  been  digging  into  it.  Thus  forty  or 
fifty  mules  and  horses  and  their  best  servant's  life,  were 
lost  to  the  Messrs.  Bent  in  a  single  day.  I  have  been 
informed  also  that  those  horses  and  mules,  which  my 
company  had  taken  great  pleasure  in  recovering  for  them 
in  the  plains,  were  also  stolen  in  a  similar  manner  soon 
after  my  departure  from  the  post;  and  that  the  gentle- 
men owners  were  in  hourly  expectation  of  an  attack 
upon  the  fort  itself." 

It  was  midsummer  when  Farnham  left  Fort  Will- 
iam, with  four  companions,  for  Oregon  Territory.  He 
stopped  at  Fort  El  Puebla,  five  miles  above  Bent's  Fort, 
and  here  met  a  number  of  trappers.  One  of  these 
greatly  impressed  him,  a  man  from  New  Hampshire. 
"He  had  been  educated  at  Dartmouth  College,  and 
was,  altogether,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  men  I  ever 
knew.  A  splendid  gentleman,  a  finished  scholar,  a  critic 
on  English  and  Roman  literature,  a  politician,  a  trap- 
per, an  Indian."  Dressed  in  a  deer-skin  frock,  leg- 
gings and  moccasins;  there  was  not  a  shred  of  cloth 
about  his  person.  Stiff",  cold,  and  formal  at  first,  he 
thawed  as  their  acquaintance  grew,  and  gave  Farnham 
glimpses  "into  his  nature  which  greatly  interested  the 
traveller.  There  were  other  men  among  these  trap- 


Thomas  J.  Farnham  379 

pers,  who  told  the  author  tales  of  adventure  which  he 
gladly  set  down,  and  which  are  well  worth  reproduc- 
ing did  space  permit.  Here  Farnham  traded  for  ad- 
ditional horses,  and  before  long  they  set  out  to  cross 
the  mountains. 

Led  by  a  trapper  named  Kelly,  who  was  familiar  with 
the  country  through  which  they  were  to  go,  the  party 
followed  up  the  Arkansas,  and  at  last  entered  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  Before  they  had  gone  very  far  their 
way  seemed  barred  by  mountains  impracticable  for 
pack-horses;  yet  their  guides,  after  considering  the  way, 
marched  straight  onward  over  mountains  of  which  some 
notion  may  be  had  from  the  following  description:  "The 
upper  half,  though  less  steep,  proved  to  be  the  worst  part 
of  the  ascent.  It  was  a  bed  of  rocks,  at  one  place  small 
and  rolling,  at  another  large  and  fixed,  with  deep  open- 
ings between  them.  So  that  our  animals  were  almost 
constantly  falling,  and  tottering  upon  the  brink  of  the 
cliffs,  as  they  rose  again  and  made  their  way  among 
them.  An  hour  and  a  half  of  this  most  dangerous  and 
tiresome  clambering  deposited  us  in  a  grove  of  yellow 
pines  near  the  summit.  Our  animals  were  covered  with 
sweat  and  dirt,  and  trembled  as  if  at  that  instant  from 
the  race  track.  Nor  were  their  masters  free  from  every 
ill  of  weariness.  Our  knees  smote  each  other  with  fa- 
tigue, as  Belshazzar's  did  with  fear.  Many  of  the  pines 
on  this  ridge  were  two  feet  in  diameter,  and  a  hundred 
feet  high,  with  small  clusters  of  limbs  around  the  tops. 
Others  were  low,  and  clothed  with  strong  limbs  quite 
near  the  ground.  Under  a  number  of  these  latter  we 


380  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

had  seated  ourselves,  holding  the  reins  of  our  riding 
horses,  when  a  storm  arose  with  the  rapidity  of  a  whirl- 
wind, and  poured  upon  us  hail  and  rain  and  snow  with 
all  imaginable  liberality.  A  most  remarkable  tempest 
was  this.  .  .  .  One  portion  of  it  had  gathered  its  elec- 
tricity and  mist  around  James'  Peak  in  the  east;  another 
among  the  white  heights  northwest;  and  a  third  among 
the  snowy  pyramids  of  the  Utaws  in  the  southwest;  and 
marshalling  their  hosts,  met  over  this  connecting  ridge 
between  the  eastern  and  central  ranges,  as  if  by  general 
battle  to  settle  a  vexed  question  as  to  the  better  right  to 
the  pass;  and  it  was  sublimely  fought.  The  opposing 
storms  met  nearly  at  the  zenith,  and  fiercely  rolled  to- 
gether their  angry  masses.  And  as  if  to  carry  out  the 
simile  I  have  here  attempted,  at  the  moment  of  their 
junction,  the  electricity  of  each  leaped  upon  its  antag- 
onist transversely  across  the  heavens,  and  in  some  in- 
stances fell  in  immense  bolts  upon  the  trembling  cliffs; 
and  then  instantly  came  a  volley  of  hail  as  grape-shot, 
sufficient  to  whiten  all  the  towers  of  this  horrid  war.  It 
lasted  an  hour." 

After  the  tempest  had  ceased  they  clambered  to  the 
summit — whence  they  had  a  marvellous  view  of  the 
Great  Main  snowy  range  of  the  "Rocky,"  "Stony"  or 
"Shining"  mountains — then,  clambering  down  on  the 
other  side,  they  camped  not  far  below,  on  the  headwaters 
of  the  Platte  River,  in  what  is  now  North  Park,  Colo- 
rado. Food  was  scarce,  and  nothing  had  been  killed 
since  they  left  Fort  William;  but  when  they  came  in  sight 
of  the  Bayou  Salade,  Kelly  promised  them  that  before 


Thomas  J.  Farnham  381 

long  they  would  have  meat;  and  sure  enough,  during  the 
day  a  buffalo  was  seen,  killed  by  the  guide,  and  greedily 
devoured.  A  hearty  meal  of  its  flesh;  tongue,  fat  ribs, 
tenderloin,  marrow-bones,  and  blood-pudding  were  all 
enjoyed,  and  the  party  ate  almost  the  whole  night  long. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THOMAS  J.  FARNHAM 
II 

THEY  were  now  in  the  country  of  the  Utes,  or 
rather,  in  the  debatable  land  visited  for  hunting 
purposes  by  Utes,  Cheyennes,  Arapahoes,  Sho- 
shoni,  Blackfeet,  and  Crows.    They  therefore  travelled 
with  some  care,  put  out  their  fires  at  night,  looked  to 
their  arms,  and  prepared  to  meet  the  foe.     No  Ind- 
ians were  seen,  however;  but  another  misfortune  visited 
them  in  the  loss  of  one  of  the  guide's  horses,  poisoned  by 
some  food  that  it  had  eaten. 

As  they  journeyed  on,  food  again  became  scarce,  and 
the  travel  was  so  difficult  that  they  had  no  time  to  hunt, 
and  suffered  from  hunger.  On  the  Little  Bear  River 
they  met  a  party  of  four  French  Canadians,  who  a  few 
days  before  had  been  attacked  by  a  Sioux  war  party  on 
Little  Snake  River  [of  Colorado].  Here  again  atten- 
tion is  called  to  the  difference  in  character  of  the  French 
and  the  American  trappers.  The  former  are  mercurial, 
volatile,  and  always  merry,  cheering  themselves  on  their 
journeys  with  song;  while  the  American  trapper  is 
watchfulness  personified,  and  his  concentration  in  this 

382 


Thomas  J.  Farnham  383 

direction  destroys  all  frivolity.  "They  seldom  smile; 
the  expression  of  their  countenances  is  watchful,  solemn 
and  determined.  They  ride  and  walk  like  men  whose 
breasts  have  so  long  been  exposed  to  the  bullet  and  ar- 
row, that  fear  finds  within  them  no  resting  place.  If 
a  horseman  is  descried  in  the  distance,  they  put  spurs 
to  their  animals  and  are  at  his  side  at  once,  as  the  re- 
sult may  be  for  death  or  life.  No  delay,  no  second 
thought,  no  cringing  in  their  stirrups;  but  erect,  firm, 
and  with  a  strong  arm,  they  seize  and  overcome  every 
danger  *or  perish/  say  they,  'as  white  men  should/ 
fighting  promptly  and  bravely." 

On  parting  next  day — August  5 — with  the  French  and 
American  trappers,  two  of  Farnham's  party  left  him. 
Farnham  notes  the  kindness  and  free-handedness  of  the 
trappers.  He  had  given  them  a  little  ammunition,  and 
they  sought  to  repay  the  kindness  by  presenting  him  and 
his  party  with  moccasins,  dressed  deer  and  elk  skins,  and 
other  articles.  "Everything,  even  their  hunting  shirts 
upon  their  backs,  were  at  our  service;  always  kindly 
remarking  when  they  made  an  offer  of  such  things,  that 
'  the  country  was  filled  with  skins,  and  they  could  get  a 
supply  when  they  should  need  them.'  "  It  was  this  same 
day  that  a  man,  pursuing  some  bears,  found  among  the 
brush  a  prize — an  excellent  pack-mule,  feeding  quietly, 
and  so  tame  as  to  permit  him  to  approach  within  ten 
yards  of  it  without  even  raising  its  head.  The  man  pre- 
pared to  catch  it,  when  suddenly  the  mule  "  most  won- 
derfully, most  cruelly,  metamorphosed  itself  into  an  elk! 
— fat  as  marrow  itself,  and  sufficient  in  weight  to  have 


384  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

fed  our  company  for  twelve  days — and  fled  away,"  the 
man  who  had  prepared  to  catch  it  being  too  aston- 
ished to  shoot  at  it.  This  was  unlucky,  for  now  they 
had  no  food.  Game  was  seen  several  times,  but  none 
was  killed.  The  next  day,  however,  a  family  of  bears 
was  seen,  and  two  cubs  secured.  They  weighed  about 
twelve  pounds  apiece,  and  made  for  the  party,  as  the 
author  expresses  it,  "  a  filthy  supper."  They  were  try- 
ing to  reach  Brown's  Hole,  but  progress  was  slow.  For 
forty-eight  hours  after  the  finishing  of  the  cubs  they  had 
no  food;  and  then,  with  great  regret,  they  killed  their 
dog,  singed  and  ate  it.  At  last,  after  more  days  of  hun- 
ger, they  found  themselves  in  Brown's  Hole,  and  at  Fort 
David  Crockett. 

Here  there  was  food  and  to  spare,  and  white  men, 
traders,  especially  one  Robinson,  who  traded  chiefly 
with  the  Snakes.  This  was  very  likely  "Uncle  Jack 
Robinson,"  who  died,  a  very  old  man,  at  Fort  Bridger 
about  1894.  He  was  one  of  the  party  of  trappers  who 
found  the  Arapahoe  baby  whom  they  named  Friday. 

In  this  "  Happy  Valley,"  which,  however,  was  not  free 
from  incursions  by  the  wandering  enemy,  the  travellers 
spent  much  time,  and  here  Farnham  puts  down  some 
things  that  he  learned  concerning  the  Snake,  Crow, 
Blackfeet,  and  Arapahoe  Indians.  He  describes  es- 
pecially the  pestilence  which  visited  the  Blackfeet  in 
1828,  at  which  time  they  numbered  about  two  thousand 
five  hundred  lodges,  or  families,  which  would  perhaps 
mean  twelve  thousand  five  hundred  people.  This 
enumeration  may  perhaps  refer  to  the  Piegan  Black- 


Thomas  J.  Farnham  385 

feet  alone,  or  to  all  three  of  the  tribes  of  that 
nation. 

At  that  time,  as  in  later  visits  of  this  dread  disease, 
the  Blackfeet  treatment  was  by  the  sweat  lodge,  followed 
by  a  plunge  into  icy  water,  from  which  often  the  weak- 
ened victim  was  unable  to  struggle  again  to  the  shore. 
At  this  time  the  Blackfoot  camp,  it  is  said,  was  on  the 
banks  of  the  Yellowstone. 

A  glimpse  of  the  estimation  in  which  the  Blackfeet 
were  held  in  those  days  is  afforded  by  the  reflection 
with  which  the  author  concludes  his  description  of  this 
scourge;  for  he  says:  "But  this  infliction  has  in  no  wise 
humanized  their  blood-thirsty  nature.  As  ever  before, 
they  wage  exterminating  war  upon  the  traders  and  trap- 
pers, and  the  Oregon  Indians." 

At  Brown's  Hole,  Farnham  met  an  old  Snake  Indian 
who  had  seen  Lewis  and  Clark  on  the  headwaters  of 
the  Missouri  in  1805.  This  man  was  the  first  of  his 
people  who  saw  the  exploring  white  man.  "He  ap- 
pears to  have  been  galloping  from  place  to  place  in  the 
office  of  sentinel  to  the  Shoshoni  camp,  when  he  sud- 
denly found  himself  in  the  very  presence  of  the  whites. 
Astonishment  fixed  him  to  the  spot.  Men  with  faces 
pale  as  ashes  had  never  been  seen  by  himself  or  his 
nation.  'The  head  rose  high  and  round,  the  top  flat; 
it  jutted  over  the  eyes  in  a  thin  rim;  their  skin  was  loose 
and  flowing,  and  of  various  colors/  His  fears  at  length 
overcoming  his  curiosity,  he  fled  in  the  direction  of  the 
Indian  encampment.  But  being  seen  by  the  whites  they 
pursued  and  brought  him  to  their  camp;  exhibited  to 


386  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

him  the  effects  of  their  firearms,  loaded  him  with  pres- 
ents, and  let  him  go.  Having  arrived  among  his  own 
people,  he  told  them  he  had  seen  men  with  faces  pale  as 
ashes,  who  were  makers  of  thunder,  lightning,  etc. 
This  information  astounded  the  whole  tribe.  They 
had  lived  many  years,  and  their  ancestors  had  lived 
many  more,  and  there  were  many  legends  which  spoke 
of  many  wonderful  things;  but  a  tale  like  this  they  had 
never  heard.  A  council  was  therefore  assembled  to 
consider  the  matter.  The  man  of  strange  words  was 
summoned  before  it;  and  he  rehearsed,  in  substance, 
what  he  had  before  told  to  others,  but  was  not  believed. 
'All  men  were  red,  and  therefore  he  could  not  have  seen 
men  as  pale  as  ashes.  The  Great  Spirit  made  the 
thunder  and  lightning;  he  therefore  could  not  have  seen 
men  of  any  color  that  could  produce  them.  He  had 
seen  nothing;  he  had  lied  to  his  chief,  and  should  die/ 
At  this  stage  of  the  proceedings,  the  culprit  produced 
some  of  the  presents  which  he  had  received  from  the 
pale  men.  These  being  quite  as  new  to  them  as  pale 
faces  were,  it  was  determined  'that  he  should  have  the 
privilege  of  leading  his  judges  to  the  place  where  he  de- 
clared he  had  seen  these  strange  people;  and  if  such  were 
found  there,  he  should  be  exculpated;  if  not,  these  pres- 
ents were  to  be  considered  as  conclusive  evidence 
against  him,  that  he  dealt  with  evil  spirits,  and  that  he 
was  worthy  of  death  by  the  arrows  of  his  kinfolks/ 
The  pale  men — the  thunder  makers — were  found,  and 
were  witnesses  of  the  poor  fellow's  story.  He  was  re- 
leased, and  has  ever  since  been  much  honored  and  loved 


Thomas  J.  Farnham  387 

by  his  tribe,  and  every  white  man  in  the  mountains.  He 
is  now  about  eighty  years  old,  and  poor.  But  as  he  is 
always  about  Fort  David  Crockett,  he  is  never  per- 
mitted to  want." 

At  Brown's  Hole  arrived  Paul  Richardson,  who  was 
returning  from  the  borders  of  Oregon  to  St.  Louis.  He 
had  guided  some  missionaries  and  others,  from  the 
Western  States  to  that  unknown  region,  and  among 
them  a  man  whose  purpose  it  was  to  conquer  the  terri- 
tory of  California.  The  missionaries  were  Messrs. 
Munger  and  Griffith,  and  their  wives  were  with  them. 
Influenced  by  Richardson's  story,  which  was  very  un- 
favorable to  Oregon  as  a  place  of  residence,  two  of 
Farnham's  men  determined  to  return  to  the  Mississippi 
Valley.  This  left  him  only  Blair,  an  old  man,  and  the 
useless  person  whose  life  he  had  saved,  as  companions 
for  the  long  journey  before  him.  The  event  was  dis- 
heartening. Farnham,  however,  was  a  man  of  de- 
termination, and  was  not  to  be  turned  from  his 
purpose  of  striving,  at  least,  to  reach  the  mouth  of  the 
Colorado  River  that  season.  He  therefore  engaged  a 
Snake  Indian  to  pilot  him  to  Fort  Hall,  about  two 
hundred  miles  distant;  the  compensation  offered  for 
the  service  being  fifty  loads  of  ammunition,  and  three 
bunches  of  beads.  One  of  the  melancholy  things  of 
continuing  the  journey  was  the  necessity  of  parting  with 
Kelly,  the  trapper  who  had  bravely  and  effectively 
guided  them  from  Fort  William  to  Brown's  Hole. 
When  the  last  farewells  were  said,  they  started  off, 
following  the  Green  River,  which  here  is  called  Sheet- 


388  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

skadee;  and  on  a  tributary  of  this  stream,  a  day  or 
two  later,  Farnham  lost  his  Pueblo  mare — a  prairie, 
and  not  a  mountain,  horse — which,  after  escaping 
many  dangers  in  climbing  the  rough  mountains  to  the 
eastward,  at  last  fell  over  a  cliff  about  six  hundred  feet 
high  and  was  killed. 

When  starting  out  from  Fort  David  Crockett,  they 
had  been  ill  supplied  with  food,  of  which  a  considerable 
part  was  dog  meat,  but  Jim,  the  Indian  guide,  occa- 
sionally killed  an  antelope,  which  kept  the  party  from 
suffering.  While  still  travelling  up  the  river,  they  met 
a  free  trapper,  named  Madison  Gordon,  who  told  them 
the  usual  story  of  few  beaver,  and  little  game;  and  he 
declared  that  he  purposed  to  move  West,  and  to  begin 
farming  in  the  valley  of  the  Willamette,  which  he 
averred  was  the  purpose  also  of  a  large  number  of  his 
fellow  trappers.  One  morning,  as  they  were  packing, 
the  guide  detected  in  the  distance,  down  the  river,  peo- 
ple coming.  Who  these  might  be  they  did  not  know. 
They  had  visions  of  war  parties  of  Crows,  Sioux,  and 
Blackfeet,  and  prepared  for  the  attack;  put  new  caps 
on  their  rifles,  mounted,  and  took  up  a  favorable  posi- 
tion. But  before  long  their  guide  rode  out  from  be- 
hind their  brush-wood  camp  and  hurried  his  horse 
toward  the  stranger.  This  man  proved  to  be  the  cele- 
brated bear  killer,  Meek — perhaps  the  man  whose  story 
is  told  in  a  book  entitled,  The  River  of  the  West, 
which  gives  much  of  the  history  of  the  early  settlements 
on  the  Columbia  River.  A  day  or  two  after  this,  food 
must  have  again  become  scarce  with  them,  for  the 


Thomas  J.  Farnham  389 

author  says,  quite  incidentally,  "at  sunset  our  camp 
kettle  was  bubbling  over  the  bones  of  a  pelican  at  the 
'  Steamboat  Spring/  "  Think  of  the  joy  of  eating  boiled 
pelican!  What  more  nauseous  dish  can  be  imagined. 
Crossing  over  into  the  valley  of  Bear  River,  they  hurried 
on  their  way,  frequently  made  uneasy  by  finding  the 
tracks  of  people,  and  even  by  seeing  camp  fires  at  night, 
and  at  length  reached  Fort  Hall,  and  full  meals,  in 
which  fresh  buffalo  tongue  figured  largely. 

After  a  short  stay  at  Fort  Hall,  Farnham  and  his  peo- 
ple, under  the  guidance  of  an  Indian,  set  out  to  cross  the 
burnt  plains  of  Snake  River.  Two  or  three  days  out  the 
party  was  joined  by  a  Swiss  trapper  who  had  been  eight 
years  in  the  mountains.  He  had  been  a  student  in  a 
seminary,  but  had  deserted  that  training-ground  for  the 
priesthood  and  had  come  to  America  and  taken  to  the 
mountains. 

The  wormwood  deserts  of  the  Snake  River  were  hard 
enough  on  the  travellers,  but  harder  still  on  their  animals, 
which  had  little  to  eat.  Digger  Indians  were  sometimes 
met;  and  when  they  reached  the  Boisais  River  they 
found  Indians  in  considerable  numbers  engaged  in  tak- 
ing salmon  for  their  winter  provisions.  They  were 
pleasant,  hospitable,  and  ready  to  trade  provisions,  or 
even  horses;  and  here  the  party  renewed  their  stock.  It 
was  here  too  that  their  guide  left  them,  explaining  that 
now  that  he  had  come  to  the  country  of  another  people, 
it  would  not  be  good  manners  to  act  as  guide  through 
their  land.  Left  without  guidance  in  a  country  cut  up 
with  trails,  they  were  obliged  to  depend  on  themselves, 


390  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

but  at  length  succeeded  in  hiring  a  number  of  Bonak 
[Bannock]  Indians  to  guide  them  to  the  fort,  which  they 
were  now  approaching. 

The  fort  at  Boisais  was  as  hospitable  as  all  the  others 
had  been.  This  post  was  built  in  1832  by  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company  to  counteract  the  influence  of  Wyeth's 
Fort  Hall,  the  building  of  which  is  described  in  J.  K. 
Townsend's  sketches.  At  this  time  it  was  commanded 
by  Mr.  Payette.  The  stay  at  Boisais  was  not  long,  and 
the  travellers  moved  on  over  a  country  sometimes  easy 
to  traverse,  again  extremely  difficult.  In  some  places  all 
the  party  walked,  except  the  worthless  Smith,  who  in- 
sisted on  making  his  unfortunate  beast  carry  him  over 
the  roughest  ground.  A  few  days  later  they  reached  the 
Columbia  River,  and  crossing  over  found  themselves  be- 
fore the  mission,  in  the  presence  of  Dr.  Whitman.  Mr. 
Munger  and  Mr.  Hall  were  also  there.  A  pretty  picture 
is  painted  of  the  life  and  work  of  this  mission  among  the 
Skyuse  Indians,  whom  they  were  endeavoring  to  teach 
the  ordinary  occupations  of  civilized  life. 

At  the  Dalles  Farnham  saw  some  Chinooks,  and  de- 
clared that  they  flattened  their  heads  more  and  are  more 
stupid  than  any  other  tribe  on  the  Columbia. 

He  tells  us  that  these  Indians  subsist  on  the  acorns  of 
the  white  oak  and  on  fish.  For  winter  the  fish  is  dried, 
and  then  pounded  to  powder  and  mixed  with  the  oil  of 
the  leaf  fat  of  the  fish,  and  packed  away  in  flag  sacks; 
thus  making  a  sort  offish  pemmican.  Although  no  salt 
is  used  in  this  preparation,  it  remains  good  through  the 
winter.  The  acorns,  gathered  as  soon  as  they  fall  to 


Thomas  J.  Farnham  391 

the  ground,  are  buried  in  sand,  which  is  kept  constantly 
saturated  with  water,  where  they  remain  till  spring. 
This  soaking  is  said  to  remove  their  bitter  flavor. 

Passing  on  down  the  Columbia,  Farnham  passed 
various  settlements  and  farms,  one  of  which  belonged  to 
Thomas  McKay,  son  of  the  McKay  who  figured  with 
John  Jacob  Astor  in  the  doings  of  the  Pacific  Fur  Com- 
pany. McKay  was  building  a  grist  mill,  and  it  was  well 
advanced  toward  completion.  The  mother  of  McKay 
was  a  Cree  or  Chippewa  Indian.  This  is  the  McKay 
spoken  of  by  Townsend. 

It  was  just  at  this  time  that  the  British,  as  well  as  the 
Americans,  were  beginning  to  take  possession  of  Oregon, 
and  what  is  now  Washington.  It  had  long  been  oc- 
cupied by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  many  Americans  had  traded  and  settled  there; 
and  the  American  settlers  were  urgent  that  they  should 
be  protected,  declaring  this  to  be  a  portion  of  their  coun- 
try's domain.  The  settlers  held  a  meeting  while  Farn- 
ham was  there,  and  handed  him  a  petition,  signed  by 
sixty-seven  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and  persons 
desirous  of  becoming  such,  the  substance  of  which  was 
a  description  of  the  country,  their  unprotected  situation, 
and  a  prayer  that  the  Federal  Government  would  ex- 
tend over  them  the  protection  and  institutions  of  the 
Republic. 

Farnham's  original  intention  was  to  explore  Oregon 
during  the  winter  then  beginning,  and  during  the  follow- 
ing summer  to  return  to  the  States  with  the  American 
fur  traders.  Already  the  rainy  season  had  begun,  how- 


392  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

ever,  and  it  was  uncertain  whether  the  traders  would 
return  to  the  States  next  year.  That  plan  had  to  be 
given  up.  Finally  he  determined  to  take  ship  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Columbia  River  either  for  New  York  or 
California,  as  the  opportunity  might  offer. 

At  Fort  Vancouver  he  found  a  number  of  Hudson's 
Bay  people,  with  whom  the  time  passed  very  pleasantly. 
Then,  again  taking  to  his  canoe,  he  passed  down  to  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  where  he  found  the  good  ship 
"Vancouver,"  Captain  Duncan;  and  shortly  after,  pass- 
ing out  to  sea,  Farnham's  travels  in  the  great  Anahuac 
were  ended. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 
FREMONT 


THE  inequality  with  which  fame  distributes  her 
favors  has  always  been  a  fertile  subject  for  mor- 
alist and  philosopher.  One  man  may  do  great 
things,  and  yet  through  innate  modesty,  or  ill  fortune  of 
some  sort,  may  make  no  impression  on  the  popular 
imagination;  so  that  his  deeds  are  soon  forgotten.  An- 
other, by  a  series  of  fortunately  narrated  adventures  of 
relatively  much  less  difficulty  and  danger,  may  acquire 
the  name  of  having  accomplished  great  things.  Zebu- 
Ion  M.  Pike,  the  explorer,  was  a  man  of  the  first  kind. 
John  C.  Fremont,  commonly  spoken  of  as  the  Path- 
finder, and  by  many  people  believed  to  have  been  the 
discoverer  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  belonged  to  the 
second  class.  The  work  that  Fremont  did  was  good 
work,  but  it  was  not  great.  He  was  an  army  officer, 
sent  out  to  survey  routes  across  the  continent;  and  he 
did  his  duty,  and  did  it  well;  but  he  did  not  discover 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  nor  did  he  discover  gold  in  Cali- 
fornia, as  often  supposed.  He  passed  over  routes  al- 
ready well  known  to  the  men  of  the  plains  and  the 
mountains,  and  discovered  little  that  was  new,  except 

393 


394  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

the  approximate  location  of  many  points.  Neverthe- 
less, in  his  two  expeditons,  which  cover  the  years  1842 
and  1843,  and  1844,  he  traversed  ten  thousand  miles  of 
wilderness,  between  the  Missouri  River  and  the  shores 
of  the  Pacific;  and  he  connected  the  surveys  of  the  State 
of  Missouri  with  those  made  by  the  Wilkes  expedition 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia.  This  involved  much 
labor  and  hardship,  and  was  of  high  value  at  the  time, 
but  it  is  not  to  be  compared  with  the  work  done  by 
Lewis  and  Clark,  and  Pike;  and  the  fact  that  Fremont 
gained  great  fame  while  his  predecessors  seemed  until 
recently  to  be  almost  forgotten,  seems  unjust. 

Fremont's  first  expedition  went  only  as  far  as  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  terminating  at  the  South  Pass  and 
Fremont's  Peak.  The  second,  which  reached  those 
mountains  by  another  route,  crossed  them  at  the  South 
Pass,  and  proceeded  West  to  the  Oregon  River — the 
Columbia — and  northern  California. 

The  story  of  these  two  journeys  is  embodied  in  a  re- 
port addressed  to  the  Chief  of  the  Corps  of  Topographi- 
cal Engineers,  and  published  in  Washington  in  1845. 

Although  a  formal  report,  made  by  an  army  officer, 
and  written  in  the  ordinary  style  of  an  itinerary  of  the 
daily  march,  yet  Fremont's  account  of  his  travels  is  told 
with  much  vividness;  and  quite  apart  from  the  interest 
which  attaches  to  it  as  a  description  of  the  still  unex- 
plored West,  it  attracts  by  its  graphic  style.  The  ac- 
counts of  the  hunting,  encounters  with  Indians,  and 
mountain  climbing  are  spirited;  and  the  descriptions 
of  wild  scenery  show  real  feeling. 


MAJOR-GENERAL  JOHN  C.  FREMONT. 


Fremont  395 


Fremont's  party  consisted  of  Charles  Preuss,  his  as- 
sistant in  topography;  L.  Maxwell,  a  hunter,  with  Kit 
Carson  as  guide.  L.  Maxwell  and  Kit  Carson  had  long 
before  this  both  been  employed  at  Bent's  old  fort — Fort 
William.  They  had  married  sisters,  daughters  of  Mr. 
Beaubien  of  Taos,  N.  M.,  who  a  few  years  later  was 
killed  in  the  Pueblo  rising  at  Taos.  He  had  over 
twenty  Frenchmen,  Creoles,  and  Canadian  voyageurs, 
old  prairie  men,  who  had  been  servants  of  the  fur  com- 
panies. Among  these  men  are  such  names  as  Lambert, 
L'Esperance,  Lefevre,  Lajeunesse,  Cadotte,  Clement, 
Simonds,  Latulippe,  Badeau,  Chardonnais,  and  Janisse. 
The  children  and  grandchildren  of  some,  perhaps  of 
many  of  these  men,  are  still  living,  at  various  points  in 
the  West,  and  still  bear  the  names  of  their  ancestors. 
Joseph  Clement,  for  example,  probably  a  son  of  old 
man  Clement,  lives  to-day  on  the  Standing  Rock  Indian 
Reservation,  in  South  Dakota.  Nicholas  and  Antoine 
Jeunesse,  or  Janisse,  a  few  years  ago  were  still  alive, 
one  at  Pine  Ridge,  the  other  at  Whetstone  Agency,  in 
South  Dakota.  Antoine  Janisse  died  at  Pine  Ridge  in 
1897  and  his  brother  Nicholas  about  1905. 

The  expedition  started  on  Friday,  June  10,  from 
Cyprian  Chouteau's  trading-post,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Kansas  River,  and  marched  up  that  stream.  Their  bag- 
gage, instruments  and  provisions  were  carried  in  mule 
carts,  of  which  they  had  eight;  and  the  men,  except  the 
drivers  of  these  carts,  were  mounted;  and  some  of  them 
drove  loose  horses.  A  few  oxen  were  taken  along  for 
food.  They  marched  up  the  Kansas  River,  and  from 


396  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

time  to  time  purchased  milk,  butter,  and  vegetables  at 
Indian  farms,  a  condition  of  things  which  indicates  that 
the  Indians  at  that  time  were  further  advanced  toward 
civilization  and  self-support  than  many  of  them  seem  to 
be  at  the  present  day.  It  was  the  practice  to  encamp 
an  hour  or  two  before  sunset,  when  the  carts  were  ar- 
ranged so  as  to  form  a  sort  of  barricade,  or  at  least  to 
mark  the  boundaries  of  a  circle  about  the  camp,  eighty 
yards  in  diameter. 

"The  tents  were  pitched  and  the  horses  hobbled  and 
turned  loose  to  graze;  and  but  a  few  minutes  elapsed 
before  the  cooks  of  the  messes,  of  which  there  were  four, 
were  busily  engaged  in  preparing  the  evening  meal. 
.  .  .  When  we  had  reached  a  part  of  the  country  where 
such  a  precaution  became  necessary,  the  carts  being 
regularly  arranged  for  defending  the  camp,  guard  was 
mounted  at  eight  o'clock,  consisting  of  three  men,  who 
were  relieved  every  two  hours;  the  morning  watch  being 
horse  guard  for  the  day.  At  daybreak  the  camp  was 
roused,  the  animals  turned  loose  to  graze,  and  breakfast 
generally  over  between  six  and  seven  o'clock,  when  we 
resumed  our  march,  making  regularly  a  halt  at  noon  for 
one  or  two  hours." 

During  his  march  up  the  Kansas  River,  Fremont 
speaks  of  passing  a  large  but  deserted  Kansas  village, 
"scattered  in  an  open  wood  along  the  margin  of  the 
stream,  on  a  spot  chosen  with  the  customary  Indian 
fondness  for  beauty  of  scenery.  The  Pawnees  had  at- 
tacked it  in  the  early  spring.  Some  of  the  houses  were 
burnt,  and  others  blackened  with  smoke,  and  weeds 


Fremont  397 


were  already  getting  possession  of  the  cleared  places." 
June  17  they  crossed  the  Big  Vermillion,  and  Big  Blue; 
and  saw  their  first  antelope;  while  Carson  brought  in  a 
fine  deer.  They  were  now  on  the  trail  of  a  party  of 
emigrants  to  Oregon,  and  found  many  articles  that  they 
had  thrown  away.  Game  began  to  be  abundant;  there 
were  flocks  of  turkeys  in  the  bottom  of  the  Little  Blue; 
elk  were  seen  on  the  hills,  and  antelope  and  deer 
abounded.  When  they  reached  the  Pawnee  country, 
many  were  the  tales  told  of  the  craft  and  daring  of  these 
independent  people.  One  morning  they  had  a  genuine 
Indian  alarm;  a  man  who  was  somewhat  behind  the 
party,  rode  up  in  haste,  shouting,  "Indians!  Indians!" 
He  stated  that  he  had  seen  them,  and  had  counted 
twenty-seven.  The  command  was  at  once  halted,  and 
the  usual  precautions  made  for  defence,  while  Carson, 
mounting  one  of  the  hunting  horses,  set  out  to  learn  the 
cause  of  the  alarm.  "  Mounted  on  a  fine  horse,  without 
a  saddle,  and  scouring  bareheaded  over  the  prairie,  Kit 
was  one  of  the  finest  pictures  of  a  horseman  I  have  ever 
seen.  A  short  time  enabled  him  to  discover  that  the 
Indian  war  party  of  twenty-seven  consisted  of  six  elk 
who  had  been  gazing  curiously  at  our  caravan  as  it 
passed,  and  were  now  scampering  off  at  full  speed. 
This  was  our  first  alarm,  and  its  excitement  broke 
agreeably  on  the  monotony  of  the  day." 

The  party  now  crossed  over  to  the  Platte  River — 
which  Fremont  calls  the  Nebraska — and  encamped  on 
its  banks.  Two  days  later,  while  they  were  halted  for 
noon,  there  came  the  startling  cry,  " Du  monde!" — 


398  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

people.  In  a  moment  all  were  prepared  for  defence. 
Horses  were  driven  in,  hobbled  and  picketed,  and  the 
horsemen  were  galloping  at  full  speed  in  the  direction  of 
the  new-comers,  screaming  and  yelling  with  the  wildest 
excitement.  The  travellers  proved  to  be  a  small  party, 
under  the  charge  of  a  man  named  John  Lee,  which  had 
left  Fort  Laramie  two  months  before,  endeavoring  to 
transport  the  furs  of  the  American  Fur  Company  down 
the  Platte  by  boat;  they  had  started  with  the  annual 
flood,  but  before  they  had  travelled  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  found  that  their  waterway  had  become  too 
shoal  for  their  boats;  they  had  therefore  cached  their 
possessions,  and  had  started  east  on  foot,  carrying  on 
their  backs  their  provisions,  clothing,  and  a  few  light 
furs.  It  was  from  among  this  party  that  Fremont  en- 
gaged Latulippe,  who,  though  on  his  way  to  St.  Louis, 
really  had  no  special  desire  to  go  there,  and  was  quite 
willing  to  turn  about  and  face  the  West  again. 

The  same  day  three  Cheyennes  were  met,  returning 
from  an  unsuccessful  horse-stealing  expedition  against 
the  Pawnee  village.  They  joined  the  party,  and  for 
some  days  afterward  travelled  in  its  company.  On  the 
2Qth  the  first  buffalo  were  seen,  and  on  the  following 
day  these  animals  swarmed  "in  immense  numbers  over 
the  plain,  where  they  had  left  scarcely  a  blade  of  grass 
standing."  "We  had  heard  from  a  distance  a  dull  and 
confused  murmuring,  and  when  we  came  in  view  of  their 
dark  masses  there  was  not  one  among  us  who  did  not 
feel  his  heart  beat  quicker.  It  was  the  early  part  of 
the  day,  when  the  herds  are  feeding,  and  everywhere 


Fremont  399 


they  were  in  motion.  Here  and  there  a  huge  old  bull 
was  rolling  in  the  grass,  and  clouds  of  dust  rose  in  the 
air  from  various  parts  of  the  bands,  each  the  scene  of 
some  obstinate  fight.  Indians  and  buffalo  make  the 
poetry  and  life  of  the  prairie,  and  our  camp  was  full  of 
their  exhilaration."  Here  first  they  feasted  on  buffalo 
meat.  Fremont  says:  "At  any  time  of  the  night  might 
be  seen  pieces  of  the  most  delicate  and  choicest  meat, 
roasting  en  appolas,  on  sticks  around  the  fire,  and  the 
guard  were  never  without  company.  With  pleasant 
weather  and  no  enemy  to  fear,  an  abundance  of  the 
most  excellent  meat,  and  no  scarcity  of  bread  or  tobacco, 
they  were  enjoying  the  oasis  of  a  voyageur's  life.  Three 
cows  were  killed  to-day.  Kit  Carson  had  shot  one,  and 
was  continuing  the  chase  in  the  midst  of  another  herd, 
when  his  horse  fell  headlong,  but  sprang  up  and  joined 
the  flying  band.  Though  considerably  hurt,  he  had  the 
good  fortune  to  break  no  bones;  and  Maxwell,  who  was 
mounted  on  a  fleet  hunter,  captured  the  runaway  after  a 
hard  chase.  He  was  on  the  point  of  shooting  him,  to 
avoid  the  loss  of  his  bridle  (a  handsomely  mounted 
Spanish  one),  when  he  found  that  his  horse  was  able  to 
come  up  with  him." 

The  next  day,  July  i,  Fremont  himself  made  a  chase 
for  buffalo.  He  says:  "As  we  were  riding  quietly  along 
the  bank,  a  grand  herd  of  buffalo,  some  seven  or  eight 
hundred  in  number,  came  crowding  up  from  the  river, 
where  they  had  been  to  drink,  and  commenced  crossing 
the  plain  slowly,  eating  as  they  went.  The  wind  was 
favorable;  the  coolness  of  the  morning  invited  to  exercise, 


400  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

the  ground  was  apparently  good,  and  the  distance 
across  the  prairie  (two  or  three  miles)  gave  us  a  fine 
opportunity  to  charge  them  before  they  could  get  among 
the  river  hills.  It  was  too  fine  a  prospect  for  the  chase 
to  be  lost;  and,  halting  for  a  few  moments,  the  hunters 
were  brought  up  and  saddled,  and  Kit  Carson,  Maxwell, 
and  I  started  together.  They  were  now  somewhat  less 
than  half  a  mile  distant,  and  we  rode  easily  along  until 
within  about  three  hundred  yards,  when  a  sudden  agita- 
tion, a  wavering  in  the  band,  and  a  galloping  to  and  fro 
of  some  which  were  scattered  along  the  skirts  gave  us 
the  intimation  that  we  were  discovered.  We  started  to- 
gether at  a  grand  gallop,  riding  steadily  abreast  of  each 
other,  and  here  the  interest  of  the  chase  became  so  en- 
grossingly  intense,  that  we  were  sensible  to  nothing  else. 
We  were  now  closing  upon  them  rapidly,  and  the  front 
of  the  mass  was  already  in  rapid  motion  for  the  hills,  and 
in  a  few  seconds  the  movement  had  communicated  itself 
to  the  whole  herd. 

"A  crowd  of  bulls,  as  usual,  brought  up  the  rear,  and 
every  now  and  then  some  of  them  faced  about,  and  then 
dashed  on  after  the  band  a  short  distance,  and  turned 
and  looked  again,  as  if  more  than  half  inclined  to  stand 
and  fight.  In  a  few  moments,  however,  during  which 
we  had  been  quickening  our  pace,  the  rout  was  univer- 
sal, and  we  were  going  over  the  ground  like  a  hurricane. 
When  at  about  thirty  yards  we.  gave  the  usual  shout 
(the  hunter's  pas  de  charge),  and  broke  into  the  herd. 
We  entered  on  the  side,  the  mass  giving  way  in  every 
direction  in  their  heedless  course.  Many  of  the  bulls, 


Fremont  401 


less  active  and  less  fleet  than  the  cows,  paying  no  atten- 
tion to  the  ground,  and  occupied  solely  with  the  hunter, 
were  precipitated  to  the  earth  with  great  force,  rolling 
over  and  over  with  the  violence  of  the  shock,  and  hardly 
distinguishable  in  the  dust.  We  separated  on  entering, 
each  singling  out  his  game. 

"My  hcwse  was  a  trained  hunter,  famous  in  the  West 
under  the  name  of  Proveau,  and,  with  his  eyes  flashing, 
and  the  foam  flying  from  his  mouth,  sprang  on  after  the 
cow  like  a  tiger.  In  a  few  moments  he  brought  me 
alongside  of  her,  and,  rising  in  the  stirrups,  I  fired  at  the 
distance  of  a  yard,  the  ball  entering  at  the  termination 
of  the  long  hair,  and  passing  near  the  heart.  She  fell 
headlong  at  the  report  of  the  gun,  and,  checking  my 
horse,  I  looked  around  for  my  companions.  At  a  little 
distance,  Kit  was  on  the  ground,  engaged  in  tying  his 
horse  to  the  horns  of  a  cow  which  he  was  preparing  to 
cut  up.  Among  the  scattered  bands,  at  some  distance 
below,  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  Maxwell;  and  while  I  was 
looking,  a  light  wreath  of  white  smoke  curled  away  from 
his  gun,  from  which  I  was  too  far  to  hear  the  report. 
Nearer,  and  between  me  and  the  hills,  toward  which 
they  were  directing  their  course,  was  the  body  of  the 
herd,  and,  giving  my  horse  the  rein,  we  dashed  after 
them.  A  thick  cloud  of  dust  hung  upon  their  rear, 
which  filled  my  mouth  and  eyes,  and  nearly  smothered 
me.  In  the  midst  of  this  I  could  see  nothing,  and  the 
buffalo  were  not  distinguishable  until  within  thirty  feet. 
They  crowded  together  more  densely  still  as  I  came 
upon  them,  and  rushed  along  in  such  a  compact  body, 


402  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

that  I  could  not  obtain  an  entrance — the  horse  almost 
leaping  upon  them.  In  a  few  moments  the  mass  di- 
vided to  the  right  and  left,  the  horns  clattering  with  a 
noise  heard  above  everything  else,  and  my  horse  darted 
into  the  opening.  Five  or  six  bulls  charged  on  us  as 
we  dashed  along  the  line,  but  were  left  far  behind; 
and,  singling  out  a  cow,  I  gave  her  my  fire,  but  struck 
too  high.  She  gave  a  tremendous  leap,  and  scoured  on 
swifter  than  before.  I  reined  up  my  horse,  and  the 
band  swept  on  like  a  torrent,  and  left  the  place  quiet 
and  clear.  Our  chase  had  led  us  into  dangerous 
ground.  A  prairie-dog  village,  so  thickly  settled  that 
there  were  three  or  four  holes  in  every  twenty  yards 
square,  occupied  the  whole  bottom  for  nearly  two  miles 
in  length.  Looking  around,  I  saw  only  one  of  the  hunt- 
ers, nearly  out  of  sight,  and  the  long  dark  line  of  our 
caravan  crawling  along,  three  or  four  miles  distant." 

Continuing  up  the  Platte  River,  Fremont  reached  the 
junction  of  the  North  and  South  Platte,  on  the  2d  of 
July.  He  now  divided  his  forces,  sending  one  party  up 
the  North  Platte  to  Fort  Laramie,  and  another  up 
the  South  Platte  to  St.  Vrain's  fort,  and  thence  across 
country  to  a  meeting  point  at  Fort  Laramie.  This  last 
party  he  determined  to  take  charge  of  himself,  taking 
Mr.  Preuss,  and  four  of  his  best  men.  The  Cheyennes, 
whose  village  was  supposed  to  be  on  the  South  Platte, 
also  decided  to  accompany  him.  The  party  for  the 
North  Fork  was  to  be  in  charge  of  Clement  Lambert. 
The  separation  took  place  July  5.  The  party  following 
up  the  South  Platte  took  one  led  horse,  and  a  pack- 


Fremont  403 


mule,  and  travelled  very  light.  The  cook  had  been 
ordered  to  prepare  provisions  for  this  outfit,  and  they 
started.  When  they  stopped  for  noon,  however,  they 
discovered  that  the  provisions  they  supposed  they  were 
carrying,  had  been  left  behind,  and  they  had  nothing  to 
eat  except  the  meat  of  a  poor  bull  that  they  had  killed 
during  the  day.  As  the  trip  promised  to  be  a  hard  one, 
Fremont  sent  two  of  his  men,  Preuss  and  Bernier, 
across  the  country  to  rejoin  those  who  were  travelling  up 
the  North  branch  of  the  river. 

Buffalo  were  abundant,  and  an  incident  of  the  march 
was  a  bull  fight  on  a  large  scale,  which  the  travel- 
lers intercepted:  "In  the  course  of  the  afternoon,  dust 
rising  among  the  hills  at  a  particular  place,  attracted 
our  attention;  and  riding  up,  we  found  a  band  of  eigh- 
teen or  twenty  buffalo  bulls  engaged  in  a  desperate  fight. 
Though  butting  and  goring  were  bestowed  liberally, 
and  without  distinction,  yet  their  efforts  were  evidently 
directed  against  one — a  huge  gaunt  old  bull,  very  lean, 
while  his  adversaries  were  all  fat  and  in  good  order. 
He  appeared  very  weak  and  had  already  received  some 
wounds,  and,  while  we  were  looking  on,  was  several 
times  knocked  down  and  badly  hurt,  and  a  very  few 
moments  would  have  put  an  end  to  him.  Of  course  we 
took  the  side  of  the  weaker  party,  and  attacked  the 
herd;  but  they  were  so  blind  with  rage,  that  they  fought 
on,  utterly  regardless  of  our  presence,  although  on  foot 
and  on  horseback  we  were  firing  in  open  view  within 
twenty  yards  of  them.  But  this  did  not  last  long.  In 
a  very  few  seconds,  we  created  a  commotion  among 


404  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

them.  One  or  two,  which  were  knocked  over  by  the 
balls,  jumped  up  and  ran  off  into  the  hills;  and  they  be- 
gan to  retreat  slowly  along  a  broad  ravine  to  the  river, 
fighting  furiously  as  they  went.  By  the  time  they  had 
reached  the  bottom,  we  had  pretty  well  dispersed  them, 
and  the  old  bull  hobbled  off,  to  lie  down  somewhere. 
One  of  his  enemies  remained  on  the  ground  where  we 
had  first  fired  upon  them,  and  we  stopped  there  for  a 
short  time  to  cut  from  him  some  meat  for  our  supper." 

At  length  they  reached  the  post,  and  were  cordially 
received  by  Mr.  St.  Vrain. 

No  provisions  could  be  had  here,  except  a  little 
coffee;  but  the  way  from  here  to  Fort  Laramie  was 
through  a  country  supposed  to  abound  in  buffalo,  so  that 
there  was  no  danger  of  starvation.  Here  Fremont  ob- 
tained a  couple  of  horses  and  three  mules,  and  he  also 
hired  a  Spaniard  for  his  trip,  and  took  with  him  two 
others  who  were  going  to  obtain  service  on  the  Laramie 
River.  Crossing  various  streams,  they  passed  through  a 
pleasant  buffalo  country,  and  crossed  Lodgepole  Creek, 
and  Horse  Creek,  coming  to  Goshen's  Hole. 

The  party  struck  the  North  Platte  thirteen  miles  be- 
low Fort  Laramie,  and  continuing  up  the  stream,  they 
first  came  in  view  of  Fort  Platte,  a  post  belonging  to 
Messrs.  Sybille,  Adams  &  Co.;  and  from  there  kept 
on  up  to  Fort  John,  or  Fort  Laramie.  Mr.  Preuss  and 
his  party  had  already  reached  there,  but  had  been  much 
alarmed  by  the  accounts  of  Indian  hostilities,  received 
from  James  Bridger  and  a  large  party  of  traders  and 
trappers  that  he  was  guiding  eastward. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

FREMONT 
ii 

AT  Fort  Laramie,  Fremont  heard  much  about 
the  hostilities  of  the  Sioux  and  Cheyennes,  who, 
the  year  before,  had  had  a  severe  fight  with  a 
party  of  sixty  men,  under  the  command  of  Mr.  Frapp,  of 
St.  Louis.  The  Indians  had  lost  eight  or  ten  men,  and 
the  whites  half  as  many,  including  their  leader.  This 
left  the  Indians  in  a  bad  frame  of  mind,  and  many  of 
the  young  men  had  gone  off  on  a  war-path,  threaten- 
ing to  kill  emigrants,  and,  in  fact,  any  whites  passing 
through  the  country.  One  or  two  parties  had  already 
been  saved,  through  the  efforts  of  Fitzpatrick,  of  the 
Broken  Hand;  but  the  Indians  were  clearly  in  a  bad 
temper.  A  large  village  of  Sioux  was  camped  here, 
and  Fremont  had  many  savage  visitors  who  were  very 
much  interested  in  him  and  his  curious  actions.  His 
astronomical  observations  and  instruments  especially 
excited  their  awe  and  admiration;  but  the  chiefs  were 
careful  to  keep  the  younger  men  and  the  women  and 
children  from  annoying  the  astronomer.  Here  the  ser- 
vices of  Joseph  Bissonette  as  interpreter  were  secured, 

405 


406  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

and  the  party  prepared  to  start.  Before  this  was  done, 
however,  a  delegation  of  chiefs  warned  Fremont  not  to 
go  farther.  He,  however,  explained  to  them  that  he 
must  obey  his  orders,  and  was  finally  allowed  to  go  at 
his  own  risk. 

The  party  proceeded  up  the  North  Platte  River,  and 
the  first  night  out  were  joined  by  Bissonette,  the  inter- 
preter, and  by  his  Indian  wife  and  a  young  Sioux  sent 
forward  by  the  chiefs  at  Fort  Laramie,  partly  as  guide 
and  partly  to  vouch  for  the  explorers  in  case  they  should 
meet  with  hostile  Sioux.  Fremont  imagined,  from 
Bissonette' s  long  residence  in  the  country,  that  he  was  a 
guide,  and  followed  his  advice  as  to  the  route  to  be  pur- 
sued. He  afterward  learned  that  Bissonette  had  seldom 
been  out  of  sight  of  the  fort,  and  his  suggestions  obliged 
the  party  to  travel  over  a  very  rough  road.  They  met 
a  party  of  Indians  who  gave  very  discouraging  accounts 
of  the  country  ahead,  saying  that  buffalo  were  scarce, 
that  there  was  no  grass  to  support  the  horses,  partly  be- 
cause of  the  excessive  drought,  and  partly  on  account 
of  the  grasshoppers,  which  were  unusually  numerous. 
The  next  day  they  killed  five  or  six  cows  and  made  dried 
meat  of  them.  Buffalo  continued  plenty  and  they 
pushed  forward,  meeting  Indians,  who  again  gave  them 
bad  accounts  of  the  country  ahead,  so  that  Bissonette 
strongly  advised  Fremont  to  turn  about.  This  he  de- 
clined to  do,  but  told  his  men  what  he  had  heard  and 
left  it  to  each  man  to  say  whether  he  would  go  on  or  turn 
back.  Fremont  had  absolute  confidence  in  a  number 
of  the  best  men,  and  felt  sure  that  they  would  stay  with 


Fremont  407 


him,  and  to  his  great  satisfaction  all  agreed  to  go  for- 
ward. Here,  however,  the  interpreter  and  his  Indian 
left  him,  and  with  them  Fremont  sent  back  one  of  his 
men,  who,  from  the  effect  of  an  old  wound,  was  unable 
to  travel  on  foot  and  his  horse  seemed  on  the  point  of 
giving  out.  The  carts  were  taken  to  pieces  and  cached 
in  some  willow  brush,  while  everything  that  could  be 
spared  was  buried  in  the  ground.  Pack-saddles  were 
arranged  and  from  here  the  animals  were  to  carry  their 
loads,  not  to  haul  them.  Carson  was  appointed  guide, 
for  the  region  they  were  now  entering  had  long  been  his 
residence. 

Instead  of  following  the  emigrant  trail,  which  left  the 
Platte  and  crossed  over  to  the  Sweetwater,  Fremont  de- 
termined to  keep  on  up  the  Platte  until  he  reached  the 
Sweetwater,  thinking  that  in  this  way  he  would  find 
better  feed  for  his  animals.  The  decision  proved  a  wise 
one.  The  day  after  leaving  their  cache  they  found 
abundant  grass  as  well  as  some  buffalo,  and  although 
when  they  passed  the  ford  where  the  Indian  village 
had  crossed  the  river  they  found  there  the  skeletons  of 
horses  lying  all  about,  they  had  no  trouble  in  finding 
grass  for  their  animals. 

On  August  i  they  camped  near  Independence  Rock, 
an  isolated  granite  rock  about  six  hundred  and  fifty  yards 
long  and  forty  in  height.  "Everywhere  within  six  or 
eight  feet  of  the  ground,  where  the  surface  is  sufficiently 
smooth,  and  in  some  places  sixty  or  eighty  feet  above," 
he  relates,  "the  rock  is  inscribed  with  the  names  of 
travellers.  Many  a  name  famous  in  the  history  of  this 


408  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

country,  and  some  well  known  to  science,  are  to  be 
found  mixed  among  those  of  the  traders  and  of  travellers 
for  pleasure  and  curiosity,  and  of  missionaries  among 
the  savages." 

It  was  on  August  3  that  the  party  had  their  first  sight 
of  the  Wind  River  Mountains,  distant  then  about  sev- 
enty miles,  and  appearing  as  a  low,  dark,  mountainous 
region.  Soon  after  this  they  came  to  the  canyon  where 
the  Sweetwater  comes  out  of  the  mountains,  and  they 
followed  the  river  up  for  some  distance,  but  finally  left 
it  and  turned  up  a  ravine  leading  to  the  high  prairie 
above.  For  some  time  they  had  found  fuel  very 
scarce,  and  had  been  obliged  to  burn  buffalo  chips  and 
sage  brush  as  they  did  here.  The  rain,  which  from  time 
to  time  had  been  falling  upon  them  down  in  the  val- 
ley, now  showed  as  snow  on  the  white  peaks  that  they 
had  approached,  for  they  were  within  a  short  distance 
of  the  South  Pass,  which  was  the  objective  point  for 
the  expedition.  Soon  they  reached  the  highest  point 
of  the  Pass,  which  Fremont  estimates  at  about  seven 
thousand  feet,  passed  over  it  and  camped  on  the  Little 
Sandy,  a  tributary  of  Green  River. 

The  explorer  felt  a  natural  longing  to  push  northward 
from  this  point,  wishing  to  cross  the  heads  of  the  Yellow- 
stone, which  he  justly  supposed  arose  among  the  moun- 
tains which  lay  to  the  north  of  him,  but  the  party  were 
in  no  condition  to  make  such  a  journey;  the  men  were 
more  or  less  exhausted  by  the  difficulties  of  past  travel, 
provisions  were  almost  gone,  and  game  was  scarce.  He, 
however,  built  a  stout  corral  and  felled  timber  on  the 


Fremont  409 


margin  of  a  lake  not  far  off,  where  there  was  abundant 
food  for  the  animals;  and,  dividing  his  party,  left  some 
of  the  men  and  the  weakest  animals  here,  and  taking 
fourteen  men  with  fifteen  of  the  best  mules,  set  out  to 
penetrate  farther  into  the  mountains.  Travel  through 
the  mountains  was  slow  and  difficult,  but  attractive;  it 
was  down  one  steep  slope  and  then  up  another  and  then 
down  again.  Every  hilltop  showed  some  deep  and 
beautiful  valley,  often  occupied  by  lakes,  always  show- 
ing the  course  of  some  pure  and  rapid  mountain  torrent. 
The  vegetation  was  fresh  and  green,  as  different  as  pos- 
sible from  the  parched  grass  and  juiceless  wormwood 
through  which  they  had  so  long  been  travelling. 

At  their  camp  of  August  13  the  upward  way  became 
so  steep  and  rough  that  it  was  determined  to  leave  the 
animals  here  and  to  continue  the  journey  on  foot.  The 
men  carried  with  them  nothing  but  arms  and  instru- 
ments; and  as  the  day  was  warm  many  of  them  left  their 
coats  in  camp.  They  climbed  and  climbed,  finding,  as 
always  happens  in  the  mountains,  that  the  distances 
were  much  greater  than  they  supposed.  At  night  they 
were  still  far  from  their  objective  point,  and  they  lay 
down  without  anything  to  eat.  The  next  morning, 
however,  starting  early,  and  of  course  without  food,  they 
got  among  the  snow-fields.  The  elevation  was  now 
great,  and  several  of  the  men,  Fremont  among  the  num- 
ber, were  taken  ill  and  were  unable  to  proceed.  From 
here  Basil  Lajeunesse,  with  four  men,  was  sent  back  to 
the  place  where  the  mules  had  been  left,  with  instruc- 
tions to  bring  on,  if  possible,  four  or  five  animals,  with 


Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 


provisions  and  blankets.  Soon  after  this  Fremont  and 
the  remaining  men  returned  to  their  camp,  and  that 
night  the  men  sent  back  for  the  animals  returned  with 
food  and  bedding.  The  next  day,  encouraged  by  rest 
and  a  couple  of  hearty  meals,  they  determined  once 
more  to  essay  the  peaks.  They  rode  their  animals  well 
up  on  to  the  mountains,  and  then  turning  them  loose, 
again  began  to  climb.  Their  previous  experience  stood 
them  in  good  stead;  they  climbed  slowly,  and  at  last 
reached  the  summit  of  the  mountains,  presumably  the 
peak  now  known  as  Fremont's  Peak.  From  this  point 
the  Three  Tetons  bore  north  fifty  degrees  west,  and 
Fremont's  elevation  he  gives  as  thirteen  thousand  five 
hundred  and  seventy  feet.  He  says,  with  reasonable 
pride,  "We  had  climbed  the  loftiest  peak  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  and  looked  down  upon  the  snow  a  thousand 
feet  below,  and,  standing  where  never  human  foot  had 
stood  before,  felt  the  exultation  of  first  explorers/' 

They  returned  to  the  camp,  where  they  had  left  their 
animals,  and  travelled  rapidly  eastward,  through  South 
Pass,  and  down  on  to  the  Sweetwater  and  the  Platte. 
An  effort  was  made  to  run  this  river  with  the  india-rub- 
ber boat,  which  for  daring  and  hardihood  really  de- 
served success.  However,  although  they  ran  some  dis- 
tance and  passed  a  number  of  threatening  places,  they 
did  not  get  through.  "We  pushed  off  again,  but  after 
making  a  little  distance  the  force  of  the  current  became 
too  great  for  the  men  on  shore,  and  two  of  them  let  go 
the  rope.  Lajeunesse,  the  third  man,  hung  on  and  was 
jerked  headforemost  into  the  river  from  a  rock  about 


Fremont  411 


twelve  feet  high,  and  down  the  boat  shot  like  an  arrow. 
Basil  following  us  in  the  rapid  current  and  exerting  all 
his  strength  to  keep  in  mid-channel — his  head  only  seen 
occasionally  like  a  black  spot  in  the  white  foam.  How 
far  we  went  I  do  not  exactly  know,  but  we  succeeded 
in  turning  the  boat  into  an  eddy  below.  *  Ore  Dieu' 
said  Basil  Lajeunesse,  as  he  arrived  immediately  after 
us.  '  Je  crois  bien  que  fai  nage  un  demi  mile.9  ('Good 
Lord!  I  believe  I  have  swum  half  a  mile/)  He  had 
owed  his  life  to  his  skill  as  a  swimmer,  and  I  determined 
to  take  him  and  the  two  others  on  board  and  trust  to 
skill  and  fortune  to  reach  the  other  end  in  safety.  We 
placed  ourselves  on  our  knees  and  with  the  short  pad- 
dles in  our  hands,  the  most  skilful  boatman  being  at 
the  bow,  and  again  we  commenced  our  rapid  descent. 
We  cleared  rock  after  rock  and  shot  past  fall  after  fall, 
our  little  boat  seeming  to  play  with  the  cataract.  We  be- 
came flushed  with  success  and  familiar  with  the  danger, 
and,  yielding  to  the  excitement  of  the  occasion,  broke 
forth  together  into  a  Canadian  boat  song.  Singing,  or 
rather  shouting,  we  dashed  along,  and  were,  I  believe, 
in  the  midst  of  the  chorus  when  the  boat  struck  a  con- 
cealed rock  immediately  at  the  foot  of  a  fall  which 
whirled  her  over  in  an  instant.  Three  of  my  men  could 
not  swim  and  my  first  feeling  was  to  assist  them  and 
save  some  of  our  effects;  but  a  sharp  concussion  or  two 
convinced  me  that  I  had  not  yet  saved  myself.  A  few 
strokes  brought  me  into  an  eddy,  and  I  landed  on  a  pile 
of  rocks  on  the  left  side.  Looking  around  I  saw  that 
Mr.  Preuss  had  gained  the  shore  on  the  same  side,  about 


412  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

twenty  yards  below,  and  a  little  climbing  and  swimming 
soon  brought  him  to  my  side.  On  the  opposite  side, 
against  the  wall,  lay  the  boat  bottom  up,  and  Lambert 
was  in  the  act  of  saving  Descoteaux,  whom  he  had 
grasped  by  the  hair,  and  who  could  not  swim.  '  Lache 
pas,  said  he,  as  I  afterward  learned,  'lac.he  pas,  cher 
frere.9  (' Don't  let  go;  don't  let  go,  dear  brother/) 
'Grains  pas,'  was  the  reply, '  Je  m  en  vais  mourir  avant 
que  de  te  lacker!  (<  Don't  fear,  I  will  die  before  I  let 
you  go.')  Such  was  the  reply  of  courage  and  gener- 
osity in  this  danger.  For  a  hundred  yards  below  the 
current  was  covered  with  floating  books  and  boxes, 
bales  of  blankets  and  scattered  articles  of  clothing; 
and  so  strong  and  boiling  was  the  stream  that  even  our 
heavy  instruments — which  were  all  in  cases — kept  on 
the  surface,  and  the  sextant,  circle  and  the  long  black 
box  of  the  telescope  were  in  view  at  once.  For  a  mo- 
ment I  felt  somewhat  disheartened.  All  our  books — 
almost  every  record  of  the  journey — our  journals  and 
registers  of  astronomical  and  barometrical  observations 
— had  been  lost  in  a  moment.  But  it  was  no  time  to 
indulge  in  regrets,  and  I  immediately  set  about  endeav- 
oring to  save  something  from  the  wreck.  Making  our- 
selves understood  as  well  as  possible  by  signs — for 
nothing  could  be  heard  in  the  roar  of  the  waters — we 
commenced  our  operations.  Of  everything  on  board 
the  only  article  that  had  been  saved  was  my  double- 
barrelled  gun,  which  Descoteaux  had  caught  and  clung 
to  with  drowning  tenacity.  The  men  continued  down 
the  river  on  the  left  bank.  Mr.  Preuss  and  myself  de- 


Fremont  413 


scended  on  the  side  we  were  on,  and  Lajeunesse,  with 
a  paddle  in  his  hand,  jumped  on  the  boat  alone  and 
continued  down  the  canon.  She  was  now  light  and 
cleared  every  bad  place  with  much  less  difficulty.  In 
a  short  time  he  was  joined  by  Lambert,  and  the  search 
was  continued  for  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  which  was 
as  far  as  the  boat  could  proceed  in  the  pass. 

"Here  the  walls  were  about  five  hundred  feet  high, 
and  the  fragments  of  rock  from  above  had  choked  the 
river  into  a  hollow  pass  but  one  or  two  feet  above  the 
surface.  Through  this  and  the  interstices  of  the  rock 
the  water  found  its  way.  Favored  beyond  our  expecta- 
tions, all  of  our  registers  had  been  recovered  with  the 
exception  of  one  of  my  journals,  which  contained  the 
notes  and  incidents  of  travel,  and  topographical  descrip- 
tions, a  number  of  scattered  astronomical  observations, 
principally  meridian  altitudes  of  the  sun,  and  our  bar- 
ometrical register  west  of  Laramie.  Fortunately,  our 
other  journals  contained  duplicates  of  the  most  impor- 
tant barometrical  observations  which  had  been  taken 
in  the  mountains.  These,  with  a  few  scattered  notes 
were  all  that  had  been  preserved  of  our  meteorological 
observations.  In  addition  to  these  we  saved  the  circle, 
and  these,  with  a  few  blankets,  constituted  everything 
that  had  been  rescued  from  the  waters." 

Having  gathered  up  the  things  which  they  left  on  the 
shore,  the  members  of  the  party,  half  naked,  started  on 
foot  for  the  camp  below  where  the  other  men  had  been 
sent.  They  reached  there  that  night  and  found  the 
much-needed  food  and  clothing. 


414  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

After  passing  Fort  Laramie,  Fremont  made  another 
effort  to  navigate  the  Platte  River,  trying  to  descend  it 
in  a  bull  boat;  but  this  descent,  instead  of  being  a  trip 
by  water,  resolved  itself  into  dragging  the  vessel  over 
the  sands  and  finally  abandoning  it.  On  the  22d  of 
September,  Fremont  reached  the  village  of  the  Grand 
Pawnees,  about  thirty  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the 
Loup  fork,  on  the  Platte  River,  and  on  October  i  he 
found  himself  at  the  settlements  on  the  Missouri  River. 
From  here  the  river  was  descended  in  a  boat  and  St. 
Louis  was  reached  October  17. 


O  a 

o  :1 

^H  ^ 

c 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

FREMONT 

in 

FREMONT'S  second  trip  was  on  a  scale  somewhat 
more  extensive  than  his  first.  His  party  consisted 
of  thirty-two  regular  engagees,  besides  a  negro, 
and  two  Delaware  Indians,  who  were  hired  to  act  as 
hunters.  The  route  was  up  the  Kansas  valley,  across 
the  divide,  to  the  head  of  the  Arkansas,  and  then  through 
passes  in  the  mountains — if  any  could  be  found — at  the 
source  of  this  river.  The  party  left  "the  little  town  of 
Kansas" — now  Kansas  City — the  last  of  May,  and  pro- 
ceeded without  special  adventure  until  the  afternoon  of 
June  6,  when  a  little  confusion  was  caused  by  the  sud- 
den arrival  of  Maxwell — one  of  the  hunters  of  the  ex- 
pedition of  1842 — just  in  advance  of  a  party  of  Osage 
Indians.  Maxwell  had  gone  back  to  look  for  a  lost 
horse,  and  the  Osages  had  promptly  chased  him  into 
camp,  a  distance  of  nine  miles.  The  Osages  drove  off 
a  number  of  the  best  horses,  but  a  hard  chase  of  seven 
or  eight  miles  recovered  them  all. 

At  this  season  of  the  year  the  streams  were  up,  and 
some  difficulty  was  met  with  in  crossing  them.     Game 

4*5 


4i 8  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

felt  some  natural  anxiety  about  the  safety  of  Maxwell. 
By  great  good  luck,  however,  he  met  here  Carson,  whom 
he  engaged  once  more,  and  sent  him  off  to  Charles  Bent, 
down  the  Arkansas  River,  to  buy  mules  at  Bent's  fort — 
Fort  William.  Usually  there  was  a  large  stock  of  ani- 
mals here,  for  the  Indians,  returning  from  their  raids 
into  Mexico,  often  traded  a  part  of  their  plunder  for 
goods. 

The  party  now  returned  to  St.  Vrain's  fort,  which  they 
reached  on  the  23d.  Here  Fitzpatrick  and  his  party 
were  found  safe  and  well,  and  also  Carson,  who  had 
brought  with  him  ten  good  mules  with  the  necessary 
pack  animals.  The  provisions  which  Fitzpatrick  had 
brought  and  over  which  he  had  watched  with  great  care, 
were  very  welcome  to  the  hungry  explorers.  At  this 
post  the  Delaware  Indians  determined  to  return  to  their 
home.  Fremont  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  try 
the  pass  through  which  the  Cache-a-la-Poudre  flowed, 
and  he  again  divided  the  party,  sending  Fitzpatrick 
across  the  plains  to  the  mouth  of  the  Laramie  River,  to 
follow  the  usual  emigrant  trail  and  to  meet  him  at  Fort 
Hall.  Fremont  with  thirteen  men  was  to  take  the  lon- 
ger road  about.  He  started  up  the  Cache-a-la-Poudre, 
marched  westward  through  the  Medicine  Bow  Moun- 
tains to  the  North  Platte  River,  which  he  crossed.  The 
way  was  not  exceptionally  difficult  except  for  the  fact 
that  it  ran  through  large  and  tough  bushes  of  sage 
brush,  which  made  the  hauling  hard.  Buffalo  were 
abundant  and  food  was  plenty.  Indeed,  so  many  were 
killed  that  they  spent  a  day  or  two  in  camp  drying  meat 


Fremont  419 


as  provision  for  the  future.  While  they  were  occupied 
at  this,  they  were  charged  by  about  seventy  mounted 
Indians,  but  these  were  seen  by  the  horse  guard,  the 
horses  driven  into  camp  and  the  party  took  up  a  defen- 
sive position  in  a  grove  of  timber,  so  that  the  Indians, 
just  before  the  howitzer  was  fired  at  them,  halted  and 
explained  that  they  had  taken  the  camp  for  one  of  hos- 
tile Indians.  This  war-party  was  one  of  Arapahoes 
and  Cheyennes,  returning  unsuccessful  from  a  journey 
against  their  enemies,  the  Shoshoni.  They  had  lost 
several  men  and  were  not  in  a  very  pleasant  frame  of 
mind. 

From  here,  turning  south,  the  party  struck  across  to 
the  Sweetwater  River  and  at  length  reached  the  trail  to 
the  Oregon,  being  thus  on  the  same  ground  that  they 
had  traversed  the  previous  year.  Green  River,  then 
called  Prairie-Hen  River,  was  reached  August  16,  and 
something  is  said  of  the  impressions  among  the  residents 
in  the  country  about  the  lower  course  of  the  Colorado. 
Says  Fremont:  "From  many  descriptions  of  trappers  it 
is  probable  that  in  its  foaming  course  among  its  lofty 
precipices  it  presents  many  scenes  of  wild  grandeur;  and 
though  offering  many  temptations,  and  often  discussed, 
no  trappers  have  been  found  bold  enough  to  undertake 
a  voyage  which  has  so  certain  a  prospect  of  a  fatal  termi- 
nation. The  Indians  have  strange  stories  of  beautiful 
valleys  abounding  with  beaver  shut  up  among  inaccessi- 
ble walls  of  rock  in  the  lower  course  of  the  river,  and  to 
which  the  neighboring  Indians,  in  their  occasional  wars 
with  the  Spaniards  and  among  themselves,  drive  their 


420  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

herds  of  cattle  and  flocks  of  sheep,  leaving  them  to  past- 
ure in  perfect  security."  Fremont  was  ignorant  that 
nearly  eighteen  years  before  Ashley  had  descended  the 
Green  River  in  a  boat,  and  had  inscribed  his  name  and  a 
date  on  the  rock  which  was  seen  there  by  Major  J.  W. 
Powell  more  than  forty  years  later.  But  Ashley's  expe- 
dition did  not  get  much  farther  than  the  mouth  of  Ashley 
River,  where  it  was  wrecked  and  the  trip  abandoned. 
Not  long  after  crossing  Green  River  they  passed  quite 
near  Bridger's  fort,  and  then  sent  Carson  on  to  Fort 
Hall  to  secure  provisions,  while  Fremont  with  his  party 
went  on  to  Bear  River.  Following  down  this  stream 
they  met  a  party  of  emigrants,  saw  more  or  less  game  in 
the  way  of  antelope  and  elk,  and,  on  approaching  the 
Shoshoni  village,  were  charged  by  the  Indians,  who  sup- 
posed the  white  men  a  party  of  Sioux,  because  they  car- 
ried a  flag  regarded  by  these  people  as  an  emblem  of 
hostility,  being  usually  carried  by  the  Sioux,  and  the 
neighboring  mountain  Indians  when  they  came  against 
the  Shoshoni  to  war.  The  true  character  of  Fremont's 
party  was  recognized  by  the  Indians  before  they  got  near 
them  and  they  were  kindly  received  in  the  village  and  ob- 
tained provisions  there.  Further  down  the  stream  the 
celebrated  Beer  Springs,  "which,  on  account  of  the  effer- 
vescing gas  and  acid  taste,  have  received  their  name 
from  the  voyageurs  and  trappers  of  the  country,  who,  in 
the  midst  of  their  rude  and  hard  lives,  are  fond  of  find- 
ing some  fancied  resemblance  to  the  luxuries  they  rarely 
have  the  fortune  to  enjoy."  The  water  of  some  of  these 
springs  is  hot,  and  has  a  pungent  and  disagreeable  me- 


Fremont  421 


tallic  taste  leaving  a  burning  effect  on  the  tongue.  The 
Beer,  or  Soda  Springs,  are  of  the  same  character  as  the 
boiling  springs  at  the  foot  of  Pike's  Peak,  but  those  are 
not  hot. 

It  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  Bear  River  that  Fre- 
mont and  his  party  first  came  in  contact  with  the  Indians 
which  he  calls  Root  Diggers,  and  which  in  those  old 
times  were  spoken  of  as  Digger  Indians.  They  are  vari- 
ous tribes  and  bands  of  Pah-utes,  occupying  the  desert 
country  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  whose  subsistence  is 
derived  chiefly  from  roots  and  seeds,  and  from  such 
small  animals  as  they  capture. 

The  country  which  Fremont  was  crossing  had  form- 
erly abounded  in  game,  but  the  buffalo  had  all  disap- 
peared. Even  as  early  as  this  (1843),  attention  had 
been  called  to  the  disappearance  of  the  buffalo,  and  Fre- 
mont says:  "The  extraordinary  rapidity  with  which  the 
buffalo  is  disappearing  from  our  territories  will  not  ap- 
pear surprising  when  we  remember  the  great  scale  on 
which  their  destruction  is  yearly  carried  on.  With  in- 
considerable exceptions,  the  business  of  the  American 
trading-posts  is  carried  on  in  their  skins;  every  year 
the  Indian  villages  make  new  lodges  for  which  the  skin 
of  the  buffalo  furnishes  the  material;  and  in  that  portion 
of  the  country  where  they  are  still  found,  the  Indians 
derive  their  entire  support  from  them  and  slaughter 
them  with  a  thoughtless  and  abominable  extravagance. 
Like  the  Indians  themselves,  they  have  been  a  character- 
istic of  the  Great  West;  and  as,  like  them,  they  are  visi- 
bly diminishing,  it  will  be  interesting  to  throw  a  glance 


422  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

backward  through  the  last  twenty  years  and  give  some 
account  of  their  former  distribution  through  the  country 
and  the  limit  of  their  western  range. 

"The  information  is  derived  principally  from  Mr. 
Fitzpatrick,  supported  by  my  own  personal  knowledge 
and  acquaintance  with  the  country.  Our  knowledge 
does  not  go  farther  back  than  the  spring  of  1824,  at 
which  time  the  buffalo  were  spread  in  immense  numbers 
over  the  Green  River  and  Bear  River  valleys,  and 
through  all  the  country  lying  between  the  Colorado,  or 
Green  River,  of  the  Gulf  of  California,  and  Lewis'  fork 
of  the  Columbia  River;  the  meridian  of  Fort  Hall  then 
forming  the  western  limit  of  their  range.  The  buffalo 
then  remained  for  many  years  in  that  country  and  fre- 
quently moved  down  the  valley  of  the  Columbia  on  both 
sides  of  the  river  as  far  as  the  Fishing  Falls.  Below 
this  point  they  never  descended  in  any  numbers.  About 
the  year  1834  or  1835  they  began  to  diminish  very  rap- 
idly and  continued  to  decrease  until  1838  or  1840,  when, 
with  the  country  we  have  just  described,  they  entirely 
abandoned  all  the  waters  of  the  Pacific  north  of  Lewis' 
fork  of  the  Columbia.  At  that  time  the  Flathead  Ind- 
ians were  in  the  habit  of  rinding  their  buffalo  on  the 
heads  of  Salmon  River,  and  other  streams  of  the  Colum- 
bia; but  now  they  never  meet  with  them  farther  west 
than  the  three  forks  of  the  Missouri  or  the  plains  of  the 
Yellowstone  River. 

"  In  the  course  of  our  journey  it  will  be  remembered 
that  the  buffalo  have  not  so  entirely  abandoned  the 
waters  of  the  Pacific,  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  region 


Fremont  423 


South  of  the  Sweetwater,  as  in  the  country  North  of  the 
Great  Pass.  This  partial  distribution  can  only  be  ac- 
counted for  in  the  great  pastoral  beauty  of  that  country, 
which  bears  marks  of  having  long  been  one  of  their 
favorite  haunts,  and  by  the  fact  that  the  white  hunters 
have  more  frequented  the  Northern  than  the  Southern 
region — it  being  North  of  the  South  Pass  that  the  hun- 
ters, trappers  and  traders  have  had  their  rendezvous  for 
many  years  past;  and  from  that  section  also  the  greater 
portion  of  the  beaver  and  rich  furs  were  taken,  although 
always  the  most  dangerous  as  well  as  the  most  profitable 
hunting  ground. 

"  In  that  region  lying  between  the  Green  or  Colorado 
River  and  the  head  waters  of  the  Rio  del  Norte,  over  the 
Yampah,Kooyah,  White,  and  Grand  rivers — all  of  which 
are  the  waters  of  the  Colorado — the  buffalo  never  ex- 
tended so  far  to  the  westward  as  they  did  on  the  waters 
of  the  Columbia;  and  only  in  one  or  two  instances  have 
they  been  known  to  descend  as  far  west  as  the  mouth  of 
the  White  River.  In  travelling  through  the  country  west 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  observations  readily  led  me  to 
the  impression  that  the  buffalo  had,  for  the  first  time, 
crossed  that  range  to  the  waters  of  the  Pacific  only  a  few 
years  prior  to  the  period  we  are  considering  and  in  this 
opinion  I  am  sustained  by  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  and  the  older 
trappers  in  that  country.  In  the  region  West  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  we  never  meet  with  any  of  the  ancient  vestiges 
which  throughout  all  the  country  lying  upon  their  East- 
ern waters  are  found  in  the  great  highways,  continuous 
for  hundreds  of  miles,  always  several  inches  and  some- 


424  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

times  several  feet  in  depth  which  the  buffalo  have  made 
in  crossing  from  one  river  to  another  or  in  traversing  the 
mountain  ranges.  The  Snake  Indians,  more  particu- 
larly those  low  down  upon  Lewis'  fork,  have  always  been 
very  grateful  to  the  American  trappers  for  the  great  kind- 
ness (as  they  frequently  expressed  it)  which  they  did  to 
them  in  driving  the  buffalo  so  low  down  the  Columbia 
River. 

"The  extraordinary  abundance  of  the  buffalo  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  their  extraordi- 
nary diminution  will  be  made  clearly  evident  from  the 
following  statement:  At  any  time  between  the  years 
1824  and  1836  a  traveller  might  start  from  any  given 
point  South  or  North  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  range, 
journeying  by  the  most  direct  route  to  the  Missouri 
River,  and,  during  the  whole  distance,  his  road  would 
be  always  among  large  bands  of  buffalo,  which  would 
never  be  out  of  his  view  until  he  arrived  almost  within 
sight  of  the  abodes  of  civilization. 

"At  this  time  the  buffalo  occupy  but  a  very  limited 
space,  principally  along  the  Eastern  base  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  sometimes  extending  at  their  Southern 
extremity  to  a  considerable  distance  into  the  plains 
between  the  Platte  and  Arkansas  Rivers  and  along  the 
Eastern  frontier  of  New  Mexico  as  far  South  as  Texas. 

"The  following  statement,  which  I  owe  to  the  kind- 
ness of  Mr.  Sanford,  a  partner  in  the  American  Fur 
Company,  will  further  illustrate  this  subject  by  ex- 
tensive knowledge  acquired  during  several  years  of 
travel  through  the  region  inhabited  by  the  buffalo: 


Fremont  425 


"  'The  total  amount  of  robes  annually  traded  by  our- 
selves and  others  will  not  be  found  to  differ  much  from 
the  following  statement: 

ROBES. 

American  Fur  Company 70,000 

Hudson  Bay  Company 10,000 

All  other  companies,  probably 10,000 

Making  a  total  of. 90,000 

as  an  average  annual  return  for  the  last  eight  or  ten 
years. 

" '  In  the  Northwest,  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  pur- 
chased from  the  Indians  but  a  very  small  number — their 
only  market  being  Canada,  to  which  the  cost  of  transpor- 
tation nearly  equals  the  produce  of  the  furs;  and  it  is  only 
within  a  very  recent  period  that  they  have  received  buf- 
falo robes  in  trade;  and  out  of  the  great  number  of  buf- 
falo annually  killed  throughout  the  extensive  regions  in- 
habited by  the  Camanches  and  other  kindred  tribes,  no 
robes  whatever  are  furnished  for  trade.  During  only 
four  months  of  the  year  (from  November  until  March) 
the  skins  are  good  for  dressing;  those  obtained  in  the 
remaining  eight  months  being  valueless  to  traders,  and 
the  hides  of  bulls  are  never  taken  off  or  dressed  as  robes 
at  any  season.  Probably  not  more  than  one-third  of  the 
skins  are  taken  from  the  animals  killed,  even  when  they 
are  in  good  season,  the  labor  of  preparing  and  dressing 
the  robes  being  very  great,  and  it  is  seldom  that  a  lodge 
trades  more  than  twenty  skins  in  a  year.  It  is  during 
the  summer  months,  and  in  the  early  part  of  autumn 
that  the  greatest  number  of  buffalo  are  killed,  and  yet 


426  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

at  this  time  a  skin  is  never  taken  for  the  purpose  of 
trade/  .  .  ." 

Fremont's  party  at  this  time  was  on  short  allowance 
of  food.  Word  had  been  sent  to  Carson  to  bring  from 
Fort  Hall  a  pack  animal  loaded  with  provisions,  for  there 
was  no  game  in  the  country  and  it  was  hard  to  purchase 
food  of  any  kind  from  the  Indians. 

On  September  3  Carson  rode  into  camp  with  provi- 
sions sufficient  for  a  few  days.  The  party  kept  on  down 
Bear  River,  and  on  the  6th  from  the  top  of  a  hill  saw  the 
Great  Salt  Lake. 

Up  to  this  time  this  lake  had  been  seen  by  compara- 
tively few  white  people;  in  fact,  only  by  trappers  who 
were  wintering  through  the  country  in  search  of  beaver 
and  who  cared  for  geography  only  so  far  as  it  helped 
them  on  their  way.  No  white  man's  boat  had  ever 
floated  on  its  dense  waters,  its  islands  had  never  been 
visited,  and  no  one  had  made  a  survey  of  its  shores  or 
even  passed  all  around  it.  Among  trappers  it  was  gen- 
erally believed  that  while  the  lake  had  no  visible  outlet 
there  was  somewhere  in  it  a  tremendous  whirlpool 
through  which  its  waters  flowed  out  by  a  subterranean 
channel  to  the  ocean. 

All  these  facts  and  beliefs  made  Fremont  very  anxious 
to  visit  the  lake  and  survey  it;  and  having  with  him  a 
rubber  boat  he  had  high  hopes  of  what  he  might  accom- 
plish. However,  since  the  party  was  on  short  allowance, 
the  provisions  which  Carson  had  brought  with  him  being 
now  exhausted,  he  sent  back  to  Fort  Hall  seven  of  his 
extra  men  under  the  charge  of  Fran£ois  Lajeunesse. 


Fremont  427 


The  party  was  now  reduced  to  eight,  five  of  whom  were 
to  make  the  first  voyage  of  discovery  on  the  Great  Salt 
Lake,  while  three  should  remain  on  the  shore  as  camp 
keepers.  It  was  only  now  discovered  that  the  boat  was 
badly  put  together,  and  when  put  in  the  water  and 
loaded  it  leaked  air  in  rather  a  serious  way,  so  that  the 
constant  use  of  the  bellows  was  needed  to  keep  it  afloat. 
Fortunately  they  had  good  weather  at  starting,  for  the 
day  was  very  calm;  and  they  reached  one  of  the  islands 
to  find  the  rocks  along  the  water's  edge  encrusted  with 
salt,  and  a  windrow  from  ten  to  twenty  feet  in  breadth, 
consisting  of  the  larvae  of  some  small  insect  which  in- 
habited the  water,  and  had  been  washed  up  on  the  shore. 
These  worms,  so  called,  are  the  common  food  of  certain 
tribes  of  Indians  living  in  the  neighborhood  of  these  salt 
or  alkaline  lakes.  There  was  little  on  the  island  to  at- 
tract explorers,  and  in  view  of  the  frail  nature  of  their 
craft,  and  the  danger  of  storms,  they  did  not  stay  long, 
but  re-embarking  reached  the  shore  at  a  point  quite  dis- 
tant from  their  camp.  Food  continued  scarce  and  a  day 
or  two  later  they  killed  a  horse  for  food. 

At  Fort  Hall  a  few  horses  and  oxen  were  purchased, 
the  latter  for  food,  and  here  Fremont  sent  back  eleven 
of  his  men,  among  them  Basil  Lajeunesse,  a  good  man 
whom  Fremont  was  sorry  to  lose.  Leaving  Fort  Hall 
September  22  the  journey  was  continued  down  Snake 
River. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 
FREMONT 

IV 

KEEPING  on  down  Snake  River,  sometimes  in  its 
valley,  sometimes,  to  avoid  bad  travelling,  march- 
ing back  on  the  hills,  the  party  went  on.  Before 
long  the  Grand  Rond  was  passed;  and  soon  after  this 
they  entered  the  timber,  through  a  part  of  which  they 
were  obliged  to  cut  their  way. 

When  the  missionary  station,  occupied  by  Dr.  Whit- 
man, was  reached,  it  was  found  that  he  was  absent  on  a 
visit  to  the  Dalles  of  the  Columbia;  but  here  were  seen 
a  party  of  emigrants — men,  women,  and  children — all 
in  good  health,  and  living  largely  on  potatoes,  which 
even  then  were  raised  here  of  good  quality  and  in  some 
quantity. 

All  the  trading-posts  in  the  Oregon  country  were  still 
controlled  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  people,  but  all  received 
Fremont  cordially,  and  helped  him  on  his  way.  They 
crossed  John  Day's  river,  the  Des  Chutes,  called  by  Fre- 
mont Riviere  aux  Chutes.  At  the  Dalles  was  a  comfort- 
able settlement:  "Two  good-looking  wooden  dwelling 
houses,  and  a  large  school  house,  with  stables,  barn  and 

428 


Fremont  429 


garden,  and  large  cleared  fields  between  the  houses  and 
the  river  bank,  on  which  were  scattered  the  wooden  huts 
of  an  Indian  village."  Here  the  party  again  divided, 
Fremont  leaving  a  part  of  his  people  at  the  Dalles  with 
Carson,  while  he  and  Mr.  Preuss  went  on  down  the  river 
by  canoe. 

The  new  mode  of  travel  seemed  very  delightful  to  men 
who  had  been  for  months  journeying  on  foot  and  on 
horseback  over  a  rough  country.  It  was  very  pleasant 
to  float  along  down  the  broad  stream,  camping  from 
time  to  time  to  build  their  fires,  and  cook  the  fat  salmon, 
and  potatoes  and  coffee,  which  they  had,  with  bread  and 
sugar — luxuries  to  which  they  had  long  been  strangers. 
It  was  a  motley  group,  but  a  contented  one.  Three  Ind- 
ians assisted  in  paddling  the  canoe,  while  the  commander 
of  the  expedition,  the  German,  Preuss,  the  Frenchman, 
Bernier,  and  the  colored  man,  Jacob,  floated  onward  to 
the  sea.  Fremont's  eagerness  to  reach  Fort  Vancouver 
led  him  to  travel  during  a  part  of  each  night;  and  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  voyage  they  had  beautiful  weather, 
made  good  progress,  and  enjoyed  the  wonderful  scenery. 
They  were  now  in  sight  of  the  splendid  Cascade  range, 
and  of  the  towering  peaks  of  Mount  Hood,  St.  Helens, 
and,  later,  Mount  Rainier.  As  they  passed  on  down  the 
river  the  hills  grew  lower,  and  presently,  one  night,  they 
heard  the  noise  of  a  sawmill  at  work  on  the  bank,  and 
camped  not  far  from  Fort  Vancouver.  Here,  Dr.  Mc- 
Laughlin,  the  executive  officer  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  for  the  territory  West  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, received  the  travellers  with  that  courtesy  and 


430  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

hospitality  for  which  he  was  so  well  known,  and  con- 
cerning which  all  those  who  passed  through  the  region 
in  early  days  spoke  with  so  much  gratitude. 

About  the  fort  were  many  American  emigrants,  some 
of  them  in  a  more  or  less  destitute  condition,  but  all  of 
them  supplied  with  the  necessaries  of  life  by  the  kindly 
Hudson's  Bay  officer,  who  allowed  them  to  pay  for  what 
they  had  by  their  labor. 

From  Dr.  McLaughlin  Fremont  procured  three 
months'  provisions,  and  through  his  kindness  was  en- 
abled also  to  secure  men  and  boats  to  transport  these 
provisions  up  the  river  to  the  camp  of  his  main  party 
at  the  Dalles.  The  return  journey  was  slow  with  the 
laden  boats,  for  they  were  obliged  to  cordelle  the  Mack- 
inaw along  the  shore,  being  unable  to  overcome  the  swift 
water  by  their  oars. 

From  the  Dalles  it  was  Fremont's  purpose  to  go  South, 
on  the  West  side  of  the  Cascade  range,  as  far  as  Klam- 
ath  Lake — by  Fremont  written  Tlamath  Lake;  thence 
south  to  the  reputed  Buenaventura  River,  which  is  said 
to  empty  into  San  Francisco  Bay;  thence  across  the 
desert  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  opposite  the  headwaters 
of  the  Arkansas  River,  and  there,  crossing  the  moun- 
tains, to  follow  down  the  Arkansas  to  Bent's  Fort,  and 
so  back  to  St.  Louis.  Much  of  this  region  had  never 
been  passed  over  by  a  surveyor.  To  make  this  trip  at 
the  beginning  of  winter,  the  party  consisted  of  twenty- 
five  men,  with  one  hundred  and  four  mules  and  horses, 
and  a  few  California  cattle,  to  be  driven  along  as  food 
for  the  company. 


Fremont  431 


After  leaving  the  Dalles,  Fremont's  whole  party  were 
occupied  in  making  the  necessary  preparations  for  the 
start  into  this  new  region.  Horses  were  purchased,  pro- 
visions accumulated,  all  unnecessary  baggage  cut  out 
and  left  behind,  and  the  little  wagon  which  had  hith- 
erto carried  the  instruments  given  to  the  mission.  The 
howitzer,  however,  was  to  be  taken  with  them.  Here 
a  Chinook  Indian,  nineteen  years  old,  who  had  expressed 
a  desire  to  see  the  whites,  was  permitted  to  join  the 
party. 

They  started  November  25  and  followed  along  the 
plateau  on  the  east  flanks  of  the  Cascade  range,  and  so 
on  the  western  side  of  the  Fall  River.  The  weather 
was  cold  and  the  streams  frozen  along  the  edges,  while 
snow  lay  on  the  ground.  When  the  sky  cleared  superb 
views  were  had  of  Mounts  St.  Helens,  Hood,  Rainier, 
Jefferson  and  other  mountains  of  what  is  now  called  the 
Presidential  range.  The  weather  grew  colder  and  the 
road  more  rough,  it  being  over  volcanic  plains,  often 
interrupted  by  deep  gulches  or  stream  valleys.  They 
were  now  passing  through  the  country  of  the  Nez  Perce, 
the  Cayuse,  and  certain  tribes  of  Diggers,  and  from 
their  Indian  guides  heard  more  or  less  alarming  accounts 
of  the  fierceness  and  treachery  of  the  Indians  before 
them.  December  10  they  reached  Klamath  Lake  and 
saw  smoke  arising  from  different  points  about  it. 
Here,  for  the  purpose  of  encouraging  their  guides,  who 
evidently  felt  very  shaky  about  the  local  Indians,  and 
alarming  the  latter,  Fremont  caused  the  howitzer  to  be 
fired  with  a  shell,  and  tells  that  "the  bursting  of  the 


432  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

shell  at  a  distance,  which  was  something  like  a  second 
fire  of  the  gun,  amazed  and  bewildered  them  with  de- 
light. It  inspired  them  (the  guides)  with  triumphant 
feelings,  but  on  the  camps  at  a  distance  the  effect  was 
different,  for  the  smokes  in  the  lake  and  on  the  shores 
immediately  disappeared." 

The  next  day  Fremont  set  out  to  look  up  the  Indians, 
and  before  long  came  near  to  a  village  from  which  two 
people  were  seen  advancing  to  meet  them. 

"We  were  surprised,  on  riding  up,  to  find  one  of  them 
a  woman,  having  never  before  known  a  squaw  to  take 
any  part  in  the  business  of  war.  They  were  the  village 
chief  and  his  wife,  who,  in  excitement  and  alarm  at  the 
unusual  event  and  appearance,  had  come  out  to  meet 
their  fate  together.  The  chief  was  a  very  prepossessing 
Indian,  with  very  handsome  features,  and  a  singularly 
soft  and  agreeable  voice — so  remarkable  as  to  attract 
general  notice. 

"The  huts  were  grouped  together  on  the  bank  of  the 
river,  which,  from  being  spread  out  in  a  shallow  marsh 
at  the  upper  end  of  the  lake,  was  collected  here  into  a 
single  stream.  They  were  large,  round  huts,  perhaps 
twenty  feet  in  diameter,  with  rounded  tops,  on  which  was 
the  door  by  which  they  descended  into  the  interior. 
Within,  they  were  supported  by  posts  and  beams. 

"Almost  like  plants  these  people  seemed  to  have 
adapted  themselves  to  the  soil,  and  to  be  growing  on 
what  the  immediate  locality  afforded.  Their  only  sub- 
sistence at  this  time  appeared  to  be  a  small  fish,  great 
quantities  of  which,  that  had  been  smoked  and  dried, 


Fremont  433 


were  suspended  on  strings  about  the  lodge.  Heaps  of 
straw  were  lying  around,  and  their  residence  in  the  midst 
of  grass  and  rushes  had  taught  them  a  peculiar  skill  in 
converting  this  material  to  useful  purposes.  Their 
shoes  were  made  of  straw  or  grass,  which  seemed  well 
adapted  for  a  snowy  country,  and  the  women  wore  on 
their  heads  a  closely  woven  basket,  which  made  a  very 
good  cap.  Among  other  things  were  parti-colored  mats 
about  four  feet  square,  which  we  purchased  to  lay  on  the 
snow  under  our  blankets  and  to  use  for  table-cloths. 

"Numbers  of  singular-looking  dogs,  resembling 
wolves,  were  sitting  on  the  tops  of  the  huts,  and  of  these 
we  purchased  a  young  one,  which,  after  its  birthplace, 
was  named  Tlamath.  The  language  spoken  by  these 
Indians  is  different  from  that  of  the  Shoshone  and  Co- 
lumbia River  tribes,  and  otherwise  than  by  signs  they 
cannot  understand  each  other.  They  made  us  com- 
prehend that  they  were  at  war  with  the  people  who  lived 
to  the  southward  and  to  the  eastward,  but  I  could  ob- 
tain from  them  no  certain  information.  The  river  on 
which  they  live  enters  the  Cascade  Mountains  on  the 
western  side  of  the  lake,  and  breaks  through  them  by 
a  passage  impracticable  for  travellers,  but  over  the 
mountains  to  the  northward  are  passes  which  present  no 
other  obstacle  than  in  the  almost  impenetrable  forests. 
Unlike  any  Indians  we  had  previously  seen  these  wore 
shells  in  their  noses.  We  returned  to  our  camp,  after 
remaining  here  an  hour  or  two,  accompanied  by  a  num- 
ber of  Indians." 

Like  many  other  persons  since  that  time,  Fremont 


434  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

was  much  impressed  by  the  attractions  of  Klamath 
Lake,  and  he  stopped  here  a  short  time  to  rest  his  ani- 
mals. From  this  point  on  there  were  no  maps,  and 
practically  nothing  could  be  learned  of  the  country  from 
the  Indians,  although  they  drew  rough  maps  in  the  ef- 
fort to  direct  the  explorers.  The  road  before  them  was 
hard  and  difficult,  much  of  it  through  heavy  forest, 
made  hard  to  travel  by  fallen  trees,  and  by  snow,  which 
was  constantly  growing  deeper.  After  two  or  three 
very  laborious  and  most  uncertain  days,  they  came  sud- 
denly to  the  edge  of  a  precipice,  from  which  they  could 
look  over  into  a  green  and  sunshiny  valley  below,  partly 
filled  by  a  great  lake,  which,  from  its  appearance,  Fre- 
mont called  Summer  Lake.  It  stands  so  on  the  map  to- 
day. The  descent  from  the  mountain  was  a  difficult 
one,  but  at  last  a  way  was  found.  It  was  impossible, 
however,  to  reach  the  shores  of  the  lake,  on  account  of 
the  deep  mud.  However,  streams  of  good  water  were 
passed  at  sufficient  intervals.  They  had  now  left  the 
forest  behind  them,  and  their  fuel  consisted  of  willow 
twigs  and  sage  brush.  A  little  farther  along  another 
lake  was  approached,  called  Lake  Abert,  after  Colonel 
Abert,  then  the  Chief  of  Engineers.  The  water  of  this 
lake,  however,  was  very  bad.  Everywhere  about  this 
lake  were  signs  of  Digger  Indians,  and  about  this  time 
they  came  upon  a  broad  trail  over  which  horses  had 
passed.  Most  of  the  country  was  sterile,  and  as  they 
crossed  the  mountains,  from  the  watershed  of  these 
lakes,  they  found  snow  a  foot  deep. 


CHAPTER  XXX 
FREMONT 


NEW-YEAR'S  DAY  found  them  travelling  through 
the  desert,  over  a  rough,  sandy  road.  The  next 
day  they  reached  a  field  of  hot  springs,  the  vapor 
from  which  was  visible  a  long  way  off.  Fremont  was 
growing  uneasy.  He  had  very  little  idea  where  he  was. 
There  appeared  to  be  no  game  in  the  country,  except 
hares,  though  occasional  signs  were  seen  of  sheep  and 
antelope.  His  animals  had  begun  to  die,  and  he  felt  the 
necessity  of  proceeding  with  great  caution.  Because 
of  the  uncertainty  of  water  for  his  animals,  he  formed  the 
plan  of  exploring  the  country  in  advance  each  day,  and 
leaving  the  main  party  behind.  On  January  10,  a  beau- 
tiful lake,  some  twenty  miles  broad,  was  seen  from  the 
top  of  a  ridge,  and  they  proceeded  toward  it.  On  the 
way  herds  of  mountain-sheep  were  seen  on  the  hills. 
When  they  came  on  a  little  stream  about  a  mile  from 
the  margin  of  the  lake,  they  found  a  broad  Indian  trail 
following  the  shores  of  the  lake  to  the  southward.  This 
was  followed  for  a  short  distance,  and  then  ascended  a 
precipice,  against  which  the  water  dashed  below,  and  it 

435 


436  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

was  very  difficult  to  get  the  howitzer  along  this  trail. 
Mountain-sheep  in  numbers,  and  ducks,  and  some  fish 
were  seen,  and  the  party  passed  the  pyramid  which 
rises  out  of  the  lake  and  gives  it  its  name.  The  last  of 
the  cattle  driven  from  the  Dalles  was  killed  here  for 
food.  On  January  15  a  few  Indians  made  their  ap- 
pearance about  the  camp,  and  one  of  them  was  per- 
suaded to  come  into  it.  It  was  difficult  to  communicate 
with  him;  but  from  what  he  said,  it  was  inferred  that  at 
the  end  of  the  lake  was  a  river,  which  subsequent  in- 
vestigation showed  ran  into  the  lake,  which  has  no  out- 
let. Here,  to  the  great  delight  of  the  white  men,  the 
Indians  brought  in  fish  to  trade.  Fremont  calls  them 
salmon  trout,  and  says  that  they  were  from  two  to  four 
feet  in  length.  They  appeared  to  form  the  chief  food 
of  these  Indians,  who,  Fremont  says,  hold  the  fishery 
in  exclusive  possession,  and  who  are  different  from  the 
"Digger"  Indians  so  frequently  spoken  of  in  crossing 
the  desert.  It  appeared  that  these  Indians  were  in  com- 
munication either  with  the  whites  or  with  other  Indians 
knowing  the  whites,  for  they  possessed  articles  of  civil- 
ized manufacture. 

The  party  now  followed  up  the  stream  running  into 
Pyramid  Lake,  travelling  along  toward  the  Sierra  Ne- 
vada Mountains.  They  were  on  an  Indian  trail,  and 
hoped  soon  to  find  the  Buenaventura  River,  for  which 
they  had  been  looking.  Columns  of  smoke  rising  over 
the  country  at  intervals  made  them  sure  that  the  Ind- 
ians were  notifying  each  other  that  strangers  had  come 
into  the  country.  Their  animals  were  growing  thin 


Fremont  437 


and  weak;  their  feet  were  much  worn  away  by  the 
rocks,  and  many  of  them  were  lame.  Fremont  de- 
cided, therefore,  that  he  must  abandon  his  course  to 
the  eastward  and  must  cross  the  mountains  into  the 
valley  of  the  Sacramento  River  as  soon  as  possible. 

Keeping  on  southward  along  the  mountains,  they 
crossed  streams  issuing  from  them  which  tempted  them 
to  try  for  a  pass;  but  the  heavy  snows  which  appeared 
to  lie  on  the  mountains  induced  the  leader  to  keep  on 
farther  southward.  January  24  an  Indian  came  into 
the  camp  and  offered  the  strangers  a  little  bag  of  pine 
nuts,  which  they  purchased  from  him.  They  also  gave 
him  some  presents;  and  as  nearly  as  they  could  under- 
stand his  signs  he  promised  to  conduct  them  to  the 
opening  of  a  pass  of  which  he  knew.  From  here  on 
they  constantly  saw  Indians,  all  of  whom  traded  pine 
nuts  to  them,  and  all  were  armed  with  bows  and  stone- 
pointed  arrows.  The  level  of  the  country  appeared  to 
be  growing  higher,  and  the  snow  grew  deeper.  They 
put  one  of  their  guides  on  a  horse,  but  he  was  evidently 
unacquainted  with  the  animal,  and  did  not  even  know 
how  to  guide  it.  Soon  they  entered  the  range,  and  hav- 
ing left  the  desert  country,  found  a  country  well  tim- 
bered, and  which  appeared  to  produce  considerable 
game.  They  climbed  to  the  head  of  the  stream,  passed 
over  a  ridge,  and  saw  from  the  summit  a  sunlit  coun- 
try where  there  was  evidently  grass.  Here  the  Indians 
were  wearing  snowshoes,  and  accompanied  the  party, 
running  around  them,  and  swiftly  and  easily  travelling 
over  the  snow.  They  appeared  to  have  no  idea  of  the 


438  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

power  of  fire-arms,  and  thought  themselves  perfectly 
safe  so  long  as  they  kept  out  of  arm's  reach. 

Descending  on  the  head  of  this  next  stream,  Fremont 
learned,  before  he  had  gone  very  far,  that  this  was 
merely  the  head  of  another  stream  running  eastward 
into  the  Great  Basin,  and  that  they  still  had  to  cross  a 
great  ridge  before  they  could  reach  Pacific  waters. 

The  Indians  here  had  heard  of  a  party  of  twelve  white 
men  who,  two  years  before,  had  ascended  the  river  and 
crossed  to  the  other  side;  but  this  was  done  when  it  was 
summer-time  and  there  was  little  or  no  snow  to  oppose 
the  passage;  and  at  present  the  Indians  declared  it  could 
not  be  done.  Nevertheless,  they  agreed  to  furnish  a 
guide  to  take  the  whites  as  far  as  possible.  Provisions 
were  now  getting  low,  and  consisted  chiefly  of  pease,  a 
little  flour,  some  coffee,  and  a  quantity  of  sugar.  It 
was  on  this  day,  January  29,  that  the  howitzer,  which 
had  been  dragged  so  far,  was  finally  abandoned.  On 
January  31  they  continued  to  climb  the  mountains 
among  the  snow.  Indians  kept  visiting  them  in  greater 
and  greater  numbers,  and  from  all  were  heard  most 
discouraging  accounts  of  the  possibility  of  crossing  the 
range.  An  old  man  told  them  that  if  they  could  break 
through  the  snow,  at  the  end  of  three  days  they  would 
come  upon  grass,  which  would  be  about  six  inches  high; 
and  here  Fremont  decided  to  attempt  the  passage  and 
to  try  to  reach  Gutter's  ranch  on  the  Sacramento.  Prep- 
arations were  made,  therefore,  to  face  the  cold  of  the 
heights,  and  clothing  was  repaired  and  put  in  order,  and 
a  new  guide  was  engaged,  who  was  also  fitted  out  with 


Fremont  439 


special  reference  to  the  hardships  likely  to  be  met  with. 
A  dog  that  had  been  with  them  for  some  little  time  was 
killed,  and  this,  with  a  few  rabbits  purchased  from  the 
Indians,  gave  the  party  a  strengthening  meal. 

When  they  started,  the  snow  soon  became  so  deep 
that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  that  a  road  should  be 
broken  for  the  animals.  This  was  done  in  systematic 
fashion,  and  for  several  days  they  advanced  by  very 
short  marches,  but  without  meeting  any  obstacles 
greater  than  the  depth  of  the  snow.  Sometimes  the 
lack  of  feed  at  the  end  of  the  day's  march  would  render 
it  necessary  to  send  back  the  animals  to  feed  at  some 
point  on  the  trail  just  passed  over,  where  there  was  good 
pasture.  Two  or  three  days  of  this  hard  work  was  very 
discouraging.  However,  Fremont's  energy  never  fal- 
tered. He  and  Carson  and  Fitzpatrick,  on  snowshoes, 
went  ahead,  reconnoitring  in  all  directions  and  trying 
to  pick  out  a  good  road,  and  on  February  6  they  reached 
a  peak  from  which  they  saw  the  valley  of  the  Sacra- 
mento; and  Carson  recognized  various  natural  features 
which  he  had  not  seen  for  fifteen  years. 

The  difficulties  of  travel  for  the  horses  was  so  great, 
and  the  hillsides  so  steep,  that  many  of  the  animals  found 
the  greatest  difficulty  in  getting  along  themselves  and 
could  not  carry  their  loads.  Sledges  were  made,  there- 
fore, on  which  the  men  drew  the  baggage  over  the  snow; 
but  of  course  this  made  progress  very  slow  indeed.  The 
hunters  went  out  to  look  for  game,  but  found  none. 

It  was  on  February  20  that  they  camped  with  the  ani- 
mals that  were  left,  and  with  all  the  material  of  the 


440  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

camp,  on  the  summit  of  a  pass  in  the  dividing  ridge, 
about  a  thousand  miles  from  the  Dalles,  whence  they 
had  started.  The  prospects  of  the  descent  were  not 
promising.  Before  them  were  rough  mountains,  among 
which  lay  deep  fields  of  snow;  but  shortly  after  they 
started  on  their  way,  they  heard  the  roll  of  thunder, 
and  looking  toward  the  valley  saw  a  thunder-storm  in 
progress.  As  the  sky  cleared,  they  could  see  a  shining 
line  of  water  leading  toward  another  broader  and  larger 
sheet;  and  in  these  they  recognized  the  Sacramento 
River  and  the  bay  of  San  Francisco.  Yet  so  frequent 
had  been  their  disappointments  during  their  wanderings 
through  the  rough  mountains  that  they  hardly  dared  to 
believe  that  they  were  at  last  to  penetrate  the  warm, 
pleasing  country  where  they  should  be  free  from  the 
hardships  and  exposure  of  the  last  few  months.  This 
night  they  killed  a  mule  for  food,  and  again  the  next 
night.  February  23  was  their  hardest  day,  for  they 
were  forced  to  travel  along  steep  and  slippery  mountain- 
sides, where  moisture,  snow,  and  ice,  together  with  the 
tough  evergreens  of  the  mountain,  made  walking  dif- 
ficult and  wearisome;  but  on  this  night  a  storm  showered 
upon  them  rain  and  not  snow.  The  men,  exhausted  by 
the  labor  of  travel  and  by  the  lack  of  food,  were  begin- 
ning to  lose  strength  and  courage. 

However,  now  they  were  constantly  descending. 
The  thermometer  was  just  about  freezing,  and  they  had 
left  the  Sierras  behind.  The  green  grass  was  beginning 
to  make  its  appearance.  The  river  was  descending 
rapidly,  and  growing  larger.  Soon  they  came  to  decidu- 


Fremont  441 


ous  trees  and  a  warmer  atmosphere.  The  country  was 
covered  with  growing  plants,  and  the  voices  of  singing 
birds  were  heard  in  the  summer  air.  They  were  still 
killing  the  horses  for  food. 

Fremont  now  believed  that  the  main  difficulties  of 
the  road  were  over,  and  leaving  Fitzpatrick  to  follow 
slowly  with  the  main  camp,  he  started  ahead  with  a 
party  of  eight,  intending  to  reach  Mr.  Sutler's  house 
as  soon  as  possible,  and  to  return  with  provisions  and 
fresh  animals  for  the  party.  Fitzpatrick  was  left  in 
command  of  the  others,  with  instructions  to  bring  on 
the  animals  slowly,  for  all  were  very  weak. 

But  they  were  not  yet  out  of  their  troubles.  For 
much  of  the  way  the  river  ran  through  narrow  canyons, 
and  the  travellers  were  obliged  to  clamber  along  the 
mountain  side,  over  a  road  rough  and  almost  impassable 
for  their  enfeebled  live-stock.  However,  at  their  camps 
they  found  grass.  As  they  went  on  they  were  obliged  to 
leave  their  animals  behind,  and  Fremont  left  his  favor- 
ite horse,  Proveau,  which  could  no  longer  keep  up.  One 
of  the  men  started  back  to  bring  the  horse,  but  did  not 
return  until  the  second  day,  when  it  was  apparent  that 
his  mind  was  deranged.  This  day  Mr.  Preuss,  who  had 
gone  ahead,  did  not  appear  at  night,  and  his  absence 
caused  much  anxiety.  The  next  day  they  met  some 
Indians,  and  kept  on  down  the  river,  still  continuing 
their  search  for  the  lost  man.  They  came  upon  tracks 
of  Indians,  little  piles  of  mussel  shells  and  old  fires  where 
they  had  cooked.  On  March  4  they  came  on  an  Indian 
village,  where  they  found  houses,  and  near  each  one  a 


442  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

store-house  of  acorns,  In  the  houses  were  basketfuls 
of  roasted  acorns,  and  although  the  Indians  had  fled, 
the  travellers  supplied  themselves  with  this  food,  leaving 
various  small  articles  in  payment.  In  a  village  not  far 
below  three  Indian  women  were  captured.  They  were 
much  frightened,  but,  encouraged  by  good  treatment, 
offered  food.  This  night  Mr.  Preuss  came  in,  very 
weak  from  starvation,  but  not  otherwise  in  bad  condi- 
tion. He  had  subsisted  on  roots,  ants,  frogs,  and  had 
received  some  acorns  from  Indians  whom  he  met. 

At  the  next  village  Indians  were  found  wearing  shirts 
of  civilized  manufacture,  and  then  they  came  to  another 
and  larger  village,  where  the  people  were  dressed  more 
or  less  in  European  clothing.  Here  was  a  man  who 
could  speak  Spanish,  a  vaquero  in  the  service  of  Captain 
Sutter,  whose  fort  was  but  a  short  distance  away.  At 
the  fort  Fremont  was  met  by  Captain  Sutter,  who  gave 
him  a  cordial  reception,  and  a  night  of  enjoyment  of  all 
the  luxuries  that  he  had  so  long  been  without.  The 
next  day,  with  fresh  horses  and  provisions,  Fremont 
hurried  back  to  meet  Fitzpatrick,  and  brought  in  the 
rest  of  the  party.  The  second  division  had  had  a  hard 
time,  having  lost  many  animals;  so  that  of  the  sixty- 
seven  horses  and  mules  with  which  they  started  to  cross 
the  Sierras,  only  thirty-three  reached  the  valley  of  the 
Sacramento.  The  beef,  the  bread,  and  the  salmon, 
which  Fremont  brought,  put  heart  into  the  starving  men, 
and  before  long  they  had  reached  a  permanent  camp 
not  far  from  Sutter' s  fort. 

Captain  Sutter  had  come  to  California  from  the  west- 


Fremont  443 


ern  part  of  Missouri  in  1838-39,  and  had  settled  in  the 
Sacramento  valley  on  a  large  grant  of  land  received  from 
the  Mexican  Government.  Though  he  had  at  first  had 
some  trouble  with  the  Indians,  he  succeeded,  by  his  ju- 
dicious treatment,  in  converting  them  into  a  peaceable 
and  industrious  people.  They  did  practically  all  the 
work  of  the  ranch,  and  were  paid  in  shirts,  blankets, 
and  articles  of  clothing.  The  soil  was  fertile,  and  its 
yield  ample.  Cattle  and  horses  were  abundant.  He 
had  a  number  of  mechanics,  who  made  whatever  he 
needed. 

The  blacksmith  of  Fremont's  party,  desiring  to  re- 
main in  California,  was  here  discharged,  as  were  also 
four  others  of  the  party.  Derosier,  one  of  the  best  men 
in  the  outfit,  the  one  who  a  few  days  before  had  gone 
back  after  Fremont's  horse,  wandered  away  from  the 
camp  and  never  returned. 

On  March  24  the  party  having  recovered  from  the 
suffering  endured  in  crossing  the  mountains,  and  being 
now  once  more  strong,  set  out  to  continue  their  journey. 
An  ample  stock  of  provisions  had  been  secured,  and  a 
fresh  supply  of  animals,  consisting  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty  horses  and  mules,  and  about  thirty  head  of  cattle, 
were  also  secured.  An  Indian  herder  was  furnished  by 
Captain  Sutter  to  look  after  the  stock,  a  great  part  of 
which  was  absolutely  wild.  From  this  point  it  was  pur- 
posed to  go  south,  up  the  valley  of  the  San  Joaquin,  to 
a  pass  at  its  head.  Thence  they  were  to  move  south- 
eastwardly  to  reach  the  Spanish  trail,  which  led  to  Santa 
Fe.  Their  southward  journey  was  delightful.  Fre- 


444  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

mont  speaks  in  terms  of  enthusiasm  of  the  flowers  they 
met  with,  of  the  beautiful  groves  of  oaks,  the  songs  of 
the  birds,  the  sweet  odors  that  perfumed  the  air.  Elk 
and  antelope  were  in  great  abundance,  and  the  wild 
horses  were  so  numerous  that  the  travellers  feared  for  the 
safety  of  the  wild  stock  they  were  driving  with  them. 
On  April  7  they  crossed  the  divide  between  the  head- 
waters of  the  San  Joaquin  and  the  Tule  Lakes.  The 
passage  brought  with  it  more  or  less  change  in  climate 
and  a  distinct  change  in  surroundings.  Indians  were 
met  with  constantly,  and  most  of  them  seemed  well  dis- 
posed. As  they  lowered  their  altitude,  after  passing 
over  the  divide,  the  way  became  more  rough,  though 
the  feed  for  the  animals  was  still  good. 

Fortunately  Fremont's  party  was  ahead  of  the  annual 
Santa  Fe  caravans,  which  insured  them  good  grass  at  the 
camping  places.  They  had  not  gone  far  before  they 
met  parties  of  Mohave  Indians,  who  seemed  friendly 
enough;  but  on  the  day  following,  two  Spaniards,  a  man 
and  a  lad,  came  into  camp  telling  of  their  party  of  six 
having  been  attacked  by  Indians,  about  eighty  miles 
beyond  the  encampment.  They  had  with  them  about 
thirty  horses,  and  were  suddenly  attacked  by  a  party 
of  Indians,  who  had  previously  been  in  camp  and  seemed 
friendly.  The  horse  guards — the  two  who  had  just 
come  into  Fremont's  camp — drove  their  animals  through 
the  attacking  party  and  escaped  with  their  horses, 
which  they  had  left  about  twenty  miles  behind  on  com- 
ing to  Fremont's  camp.  When  the  white  men  came  to 
the  place  where  the  horses  had  been  left,  it  appeared 


Fremont  445 


that  the  animals  had  been  driven  off  by  Indians.  Car- 
son and  Godey  with  the  Mexican  Fuentes  started  after 
them;  but  in  the  even  in  P-  the  Mexican  returned,  his 

*9^nsfHW- 

horse  having  given  out.™ 

"In  the  afternoon  of  the  next  day  a  warwhoop  was 
heard,  such  as  Indians  make  when  returning  from  a 
victorious  enterprise,  and  soon  Carson  and  Godey  ap- 
peared, driving  before  them  a  band  of  horses,  recog- 
nized by  Fuentes  to  be  part  of  those  they  had  lost.  Two 
bloody  scalps,  dangling  from  the  end  of  Godey' s  gun, 
announced  that  they  had  overtaken  the  Indians  as  well 
as  the  horses.  They  informed  us  that  after  Fuentes 
left  them,  from  the  failure  of  his  horse,  they  continued 
the  pursuit  alone,  and  toward  nightfall  entered  the 
mountains,  into  which  the  trail  led.  After  sunset  the 
moon  gave  light,  and  they  followed  the  trail  by  moon- 
shine until  late  in  the  night,  when  it  entered  a  narrow 
defile  and  was  difficult  to  follow.  Afraid  of  losing  it 
in  the  darkness  of  the  defile,  they  tied  up  their  horses, 
struck  no  fire,  and  lay  down  to  sleep  in  silence  and  in 
darkness.  Here  they  lay  from  midnight  till  morning. 
At  daylight  they  resumed  the  pursuit,  and  about  sunrise 
discovered  the  horses,  and  immediately  dismounting  and 
tying  up  their  own,  they  crept  cautiously  to  a  rising 
ground  which  intervened,  from  the  crest  of  which  they 
perceived  the  encampment  of  four  lodges  close  by. 
They  proceeded  quietly,  and  had  got  within  thirty  or 
forty  yards  of  their  object  when  a  movement  among  the 
horses  disclosed  them  to  the  Indians.  Giving  the  war 
shout,  they  instantly  charged  into  the  camp,  regardless 


446  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

of  the  number  which  the  four  lodges  would  imply.  The 
Indians  received  them  with  a  flight  of  arrows  shot  from 
their  long  bows,  one  of  which  passed  through  Godey's 
shirt  collar,  barely  missing  the  neck.  Our  men  fired 
their  rifles  upon  a  steady  aim,  and  rushed  in.  Two  Ind- 
ians were  stretched  on  the  ground,  fatally  pierced  with 
bullets;  the  rest  fled,  except  a  lad  that  was  captured. 
The  scalps  of  the  fallen  were  instantly  stripped  off;  but 
in  the  process,  one  of  them,  who  had  two  balls  through 
his  body,  sprung  to  his  feet,  the  blood  streaming  from 
his  skinned  head,  and  uttering  a  hideous  howl.  An  old 
squaw,  possibly  his  mother,  stopped  and  looked  back 
from  the  mountain-side  she  was  climbing,  threatening 
and  lamenting.  The  frightful  spectacle  appalled  the 
stout  hearts  of  our  men;  but  they  did  what  humanity 
required,  and  quickly  terminated  the  agonies  of  the  gory 
savage.  They  were  now  masters  of  the  camp,  which 
was  a  pretty  little  recess  in  the  mountain,  with  a  fine 
spring,  and  apparently  safe  from  all  invasion.  Great 
preparations  had  been  made  to  feast  a  large  party,  for 
it  was  a  very  proper  place  for  a  rendezvous,  and  for  the 
celebration  of  such  orgies  as  robbers  of  the  desert  would 
delight  in.  Several  of  the  best  horses  had  been  killed, 
skinned  and  cut  up,  for  the  Indians,  living  in  mountains 
and  only  coming  into  the  plains  to  rob  and  murder, 
make  no  other  use  of  horses  than  to  eat  them.  Large 
earthen  vessels  were  on  the  fire,  boiling  and  stewing  the 
horse  beef,  and  several  baskets  containing  fifty  or  sixty 
pairs  of  moccasins  indicated  the  presence  or  expectation 
of  a  considerable  party.  They  released  the  boy,  who 


Fremont  447 


had  given  strong  evidence  of  the  stoicism  or  something 
else  of  the  savage  character,  by  commencing  his  break- 
fast upon  a  horse's  head  as  soon  as  he  found  he  was  not 
to  be  killed,  but  only  tied  as  a  prisoner.  Their  object 
accomplished,  our  men  gathered  up  all  the  surviving 
horses,  fifteen  in  number,  returned  upon  their  trail,  and 
rejoined  us  at  our  camp  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same 
day.  They  rode  about  one  hundred  miles  in  the  pur- 
suit and  return,  and  all  in  thirty  hours.  The  time,  place, 
object  and  numbers  considered,  this  expedition  of  Car- 
son and  Godey  may  be  considered  among  the  boldest 
and  most  disinterested  which  the  annals  of  western 
adventure,  so  full  of  daring  deeds,  can  present.  Two 
men,  in  a  savage  desert,  pursue  day  and  night  an  un- 
known body  of  Indians  into  the  defiles  of  an  unknown 
mountain,  attack  them  on  sight  without  counting  num- 
bers, and  defeat  them  in  an  instant — and  for  what  ? 
To  punish  the  robbers  of  the  desert,  and  to  avenge  the 
wrongs  of  Mexicans  whom  they  did  not  know.  I  re- 
peat, it  was  Carson  and  Godey  who  did  this — the 
former  an  American,  born  in  the  Boonslick  county  of 
Missouri;  the  latter  a  Frenchman,  born  in  St.  Louis 
— and  both  trained  to  western  enterprise  from  early 
life/' 

A  little  later  the  party  came  to  the  place  where  the 
Mexicans  had  been  attacked.  There  were  found  the 
two  men  of  the  party,  both  killed  by  arrows;  but 
of  the  women  there  was  no  trace,  they  having  evidently 
been  carried  away.  Journeying  onward,  making  short 
marches,  and  some  that  were  very  long,  they  kept  on 


448  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

along  the  Spanish  trail.  May  4 — the  longest  journey 
of  all,  between  fifty  and  sixty  miles  without  any  water — 
the  skeletons  of  horses  were  constantly  seen  along  the 
trail.  "Hourly  expecting  to  find  water,  we  continued 
to  press  on,  until  toward  midnight,  when,  after  a  hard 
and  uninterrupted  march  of  sixteen  hours,  our  wild 
mules  began  running  ahead,  and  in  a  mile  or  two  we 
came  to  a  bold  running  stream — so  keen  is  the  sense  of 
that  animal,  in  these  desert  regions,  in  scenting  at  a 
distance  this  necessary  of  life." 

The  next  day  was  spent  in  camp,  that  the  animals 
might  rest  and  feed.  Indians  were  about  them  con- 
stantly, and  apparently  tried  to  steal  their  horses.  They 
were  very  bold  and  insolent,  but  the  whites  bore  it  all, 
being  unwilling  to  be  drawn  into  a  fight.  These  were 
the  same  people  who  had  murdered  the  Mexicans; 
they  were  barefooted  and  nearly  naked;  the  men  were 
armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  each  carrying  a  quiver 
of  thirty  or  forty  shafts.  The  arrow-heads  were  made  of 
clear,  translucent  stone,  and  Fremont  says,  "Shot  from 
their  long  bows  are  almost  as  effective  as  a  gun  shot." 
A  chief  came  into  camp,  and  declared  his  confidence 
in  himself  and  his  people,  and  his  belief  that  they  could 
destroy  the  white  men,  merely  on  the  ground  that  they 
were  many  while  the  whites  were  few.  The  Indians 
were  seen  hunting  lizards,  which  they  dragged  from  a 
hole  by  means  of  a  long  stick  hooked  at  the  end.  The 
next  day  they  followed  the  party,  and  promptly  picked 
up  every  animal  that  was  left  behind  to  rest  and  feed. 
That  night  one  of  the  best  men,  Tabeau,  was  killed  by 


Fremont  449 


an  Indian,  having  been  shot  with  arrows  not  far  from 
the  camp.  These  Indians  did  not  appear  after  this  day. 
A  day  or  two  later  the  party  met  Joe  Walker,  the  trapper, 
who  now  became  guide  for  the  expedition.  With  him 
were  eight  Americans,  who,  having  started  with  the 
Spanish  caravan,  had  heard  that  a  party  of  white  men 
were  ahead,  and  had  left  the  caravan  and  overtaken  the 
explorers.  On  the  way  they  had  an  encounter  with  the 
Diggers  that  had  troubled  Fremont,  and  killed  two  of 
them. 

May  23,  they  reached  Sevier  River,  a  tributary  of  the 
lake  of  the  same  name.  Here  they  were  obliged  to  ferry 
themselves  across  in  boats  made  of  bundles  of  rushes 
tied  together  and  bound  to  poles.  Here,  too,  Badeau, 
a  good  man,  was  killed  by  accident;  he  dragged  toward 
him  a  gun  by  the  muzzle  and  the  gun  was  discharged. 
Not  far  beyond  they  reached  Utah  Lake,  which  Fremont 
imagined  to  be  the  southern  end  of  Great  Salt  Lake. 
He  was  much  puzzled,  however,  that  the  northern  end 
of  the  lake  should  be  a  saturated  solution  of  salt,  while 
the  southern  end  was  fresh.  It  does  not  appear  to  have 
occurred  to  him  that  these  were  two  different  bodies  of 
water. 

Having  crossed  the  mountains  to  the  valley  of  White 
River,  he  reached,  on  the  3d  of  June,  what  he  calls  the 
winter  fort,  a  trading  post  belonging  to  Mr.  A.  Roubi- 
deau,  on  the  principal  fork  of  the  Uintah  River.  On 
the  yth,  they  found  themselves  on  the  verge  of  Brown's 
Hole,  a  name  well  known  to  all  old-timers  in  the  West, 
and  thirty  years  ago  one  of  the  greatest  game  countries 


450  Trails  of  the  Pathfinders 

in  the  world.  Here  mountain-sheep  were  found,  and 
some  killed.  Two  or  three  days  later,  buffalo  were 
killed;  and  we  may  imagine  the  delight  with  which  the 
travellers  found  themselves  once  more  back  on  the  range 
where  fat  cow  was  to  be  had.  From  here  they  went 
north  into  the  Three  Parks,  travelling  in  pleasant 
weather  through  a  country  well  watered,  where  grass 
and  wood  were  to  be  had,  and  where  buffalo,  antelope, 
and  elk  were  hardly  ever  out  of  sight.  On  June  14, 
they  were  in  New  Park,  now  called  North  Park,  going 
southward  up  the  Platte  River.  They  soon  came  upon 
parties  of  Arapahoes  and  Sioux,  and  the  camp  was  full 
of  Indians.  On  June  22  they  crossed  the  mountains 
and  found  themselves  on  the  headwaters  of  the  Ar- 
kansas. A  day  or  two  later  they  were  present  at  a  fight 
which  took  place  between  Utes  and  Arapahoes.  The 
Ute  women  urged  the  white  men  to  take  part  in  the  fight; 
but  they  felt  that  it  was  no  concern  of  theirs,  and  were 
quite  uneasy  lest  they  themselves  should  be  attacked. 
They  kept  travelling,  and  before  night  had  put  fif- 
teen miles  between  themselves  and  the  Indian  village, 
and  fortified  themselves.  They  were  now  travelling 
rapidly  down  the  Arkansas,  meeting  Indians  con- 
stantly. Among  these  were  a  large  village  of  Paw- 
nees, who  received  the  white  men  "with  unfriendly 
rudeness  and  characteristic  insolence  which  they  never 
fail  to  display  whenever  they  find  an  occasion  for  do- 
ing so  with  impunity."  The  Pawnees,  indeed,  seem 
always  subject  to  the  animadversion  of  the  early 
traveller. 


Fremont  451 


The  party  journeyed  down  the  Arkansas  for  nearly 
three  hundred  miles,  and  on  the  last  day  of  July,  1844, 
reached  the  little  town  of  Kansas,  on  the  Missouri. 
Fremont's  second  journey  was  over. 


INDEX 


ABERT,  COL.,  434. 

Adair,  78. 

Alberta,  254 

Alexander,  Henry,  13,  et  seq. 

Amahami,  285. 

American  Fur  Company,  398,  424. 

Annahways,  155,  156. 

Annian,  Straits  of,  58,  83. 

Antelope,  curiosity  of,  235. 

Apaches,  88,  337,  339. 

Arapahoes,  170. 

Arikara,    152,    154,   158,    161,    163, 

204,  359- 

Arkansas  R.,  237. 
Ashley,  420. 
Assiniboia,  254. 
Assiniboine  R.,  199. 
Assiniboines,  49,  53,  71,  155,  163, 

254,  262,  266,  287. 
Astor,  John  Jacob,  298,  301,  391. 
Astoria,  297,  298,  368. 
Athabasca,  Lake,  54-55. 
Athabascans,  54.  * 

Atsena,  170. 


B 


BAKER'S  BAY,  303. 

Bannock  Indians,  390. 

Bastonnais,  55. 

Bay  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  237. 

Bayou  Salade,  380. 

Bear  killing,  31. 

Bear  R.,  389. 

Beaver  Indians,  102,  107,  109. 

Beaver  Lake,  44,  45,  53. 

Beaverhead,  175,  202. 

Beer  Springs,  420. 

Behring's  Isle,  78. 

Beliefs  of  Indians,  129. 

Bent,  Charles,  418. 

Bent's  Fort,  375,  378,  430. 

Big  Horn  R.,  202. 


Big  Sioux  R.,  68,  145,  206. 

Big  White,  205. 

Birch  Creek,  200. 

Bissonette,  Joseph,  405. 

Black  Hills,  151. 

Black  Mountains,  147,  151,  155. 

Black  Shoe  Indians,  157. 

Blackfeet,  160,  168,  178,  202,  254, 

289,  292,  320. 
Blackfoot  Indians,  369. 
Blond  children,  284. 
Bloods,  291. 
Blueberry  Creek,  295. 
Bois  Perce,  262. 
Boisais  R.,  389. 
Bonak  Indians,  390. 
"Boston  Men,"  55. 
Bostonnais,  55. 
Bounty  on  scalps,  339. 
Bridger,  Jas.,  361,  404. 
British  Columbia,  254. 
Brown's  Hole,  384,  385. 
Brules,  148. 

Buenaventura  R.,  430.  436. 
Buffalo,  decoying,  51. 
Buffalo,  old  range  of,  422. 


CSCHE-A-LA-POUDRE  R.,  418. 

Caiguas,  337. 

California  and  Oregon  Trail,  9. 
Calumet  birds,  153. 
Calumet  Bluff,  146. 
Canadian  R.,  343,  347. 
Cannon  Ball  R.,  153. 
Canoe  Island,  126. 
Cape  Disappointment,  370. 
Caribou  Island,  42. 
Carrabou,  81. 
Carson,  Kit,  362,  395. 
Carver,  Jonathan,  57,  et  seq.,  140, 
213. 


453 


454 


Index 


Cass  Lake,  222. 

Caws,  374. 

Cayuse,  366. 

Cedar  Island,  149. 

Cedar  Lake,  43,  289. 

Chaboneau,  173,  174,  177,  196,  202. 

Chagouemig,  36. 

Chequamegon,  37. 

Cherokees,  353. 

Cheyennes,  43,  143,  146,  155,  158, 

205,  262,  285,  292. 
Chickasaws,  353. 
Chihuahua,  247,  248,  347. 
Chimney  Rock,  360. 
Chinook,  188,  304,  367,  390. 
Chipewyans,  54,  88,  90,  103,  130. 
Chippewa,  224. 
Choctaws,  353. 
Chopunnish,  179,  196. 
Chouteau, Cyprian,  395. 
Christineaux,  42,  53. 
Churchill  R.,  54. 
Cimarron  R.,  334. 
Clear  R.,  219. 
Clearwater  R.,  290. 
Cceur  d'Alene  Indians,  371. 
Coeur  d'Alene  R.,  318. 
Colter's  Hell,  204. 
Comancheros,  354. 
Comanches,  240,  344. 
Commerce  of  the  Prairies,  6,  332. 
Converse  with  the  spirits,  72. 
Coppermine  R.,  86,  116. 
"Cordelle,"  169. 
Coues,  Dr.  Elliott,  10,  222,  243,  251, 

254,  297. 

Council  Grove,  333. 
Coureurs  des  bois,  12,  13. 
Court  House  Rock,  360. 
Cox,  Ross,  301. 
Cowelisk  R.,  186. 
Creeks,  353. 
Crees,  42,  71, 101, 103, 123, 155,  254, 

262,  266. 

Cumberland  House,  44,  45,  53,  289. 
Cypress  R.,  287. 


D 


DAKOTA,  49. 
Dalles,  367. 
Dancing,  160. 


Dearborn  R.,  174,  199. 
Deer  Mountain,  104,  108. 
Des  Chutes  R.,  428. 
Detroit,  23,  27,  35,  36,  77. 
Digger  Indians,  389. 
Dog  Plains,  62. 
Dog-rib,  88,  89. 
Dogden  Buttes,  282. 
Dry  Fork,  169. 
Duluth,  37. 


EL  PASO  DEL  NORTE,  247,  347. 

Elk  R.,  329. 

Eskimo,  92,  93,  94,  97. 


FALLS  OF  ST.  ANTHONY,  63,  215, 
224. 

Falls  of  St.  Marie,  76. 

Fargo,  262. 

Farnham,  Thos.  J.,  371. 

Fishing,  20,  21. 

Fishing  Falls  of  Columbia,  422. 

Fitzpatrick  (of  the  Broken  Hand), 
405,  416. 

Flatheads,  293,  319,  327. 

Floyd,  Charles,  145,  206. 

Fols  Avoin,  210. 

Fond  du  Lac,  37. 

Fontaine  qui  bouit,  416. 

Fort:  Bent's,  375,  378,  430;  Bour- 
bon, 43,  289;  Bridger,  384,  420; 
Clatsop,  190;  Chipewyan,  85,  86, 
101,  1 08;  Cumberland  House,  44, 
45,  53,  289;  Dauphin,  44;  David 
Crockett,  384,  388;  des  Prairies, 
44,  53;  El  Puebla,  378;  George 
(Astoria),  298,  299,  327;  Hall,  389, 
418,  420,  427;  John,  404;  Mandan, 
156;  Michilimackinac,  16;  Nippe- 
wen,  44;  Okanagan,  371;  Pike's, 
217;  Rocky  Mountain  House,  290, 
297,  328;  St.  Vrain's,  402,  416; 
Vancouver,  367,  392;  Vermill- 
ion,  289;  William,  298;  William 
(Bent's),  375,  378,  395,  418;  York, 
249. 

Fowler,  Jacob,  10. 

Fox  R.,  61. 


Index 


455 


Foxes,  61,  209. 
Frazer  R.,  98. 
Fremont,  John  C.,  393. 
Fremont's  Peak,  410. 
Fur  trade  in  1785,  86. 


GALLATIN  R.,  174. 

Gama's  Land,  78. 

Garces,  10. 

Gass,  Sergeant,  201. 

Gens  des  Terres,  40. 

Godey,  445. 

Goshen's  Hole,  404. 

Grand  Forks,  261,  271. 

Grand  Pawnees,  414. 

Grand  Portage,  42,  55,  67,  71,  255, 

290. 

Grand  R.,  230,  423. 
Grape  Creek,  240. 
Gray-haired  children,  284. 
Great  Basin,  438. 
Great  Falls  (of  Missouri  R.),  172. 
Great  Kettle  Falls,  327. 
Great  Narrows,  193. 
Great  Rapids  (of  the  Saskatchewan), 

43- 

Great  Salt  Lake,  426,  449. 
Green  R.,  408,  419. 
Gregg,  Josiah,  332. 
Gros  Ventres,  168. 
Gros  Ventres  of  the  Prairie,  170, 199, 

293- 


HAIR  HILLS,  259,  265,  288. 

Hairdressing,  method  of,  79. 

Hare,  88. 

Henry,  Alexander,  56. 

Henry,  Alexander,  the  Younger,  154, 

222,  253. 

Henry,  William,  56,  298. 
Heterodon  platyrhinos,  78. 
Hidatsa,  155. 

Hill  of  the  Little  People,  145. 
Horse  Creek,  404. 
Horses,  catching  wild,  235. 
Horses  encourage  indolence,  274. 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,   86,   271, 

280,  289,  301. 


Hunt,  W.  P.,  299,  303. 
Huts  (of  Eskimo),  94. 


ILE  DE  MAUREPAS,  42. 

Independence  Rock,  360,  407. 

Indian  tribes:  Amahami,  285;  An- 
nahways,  155,  156;  Apaches,  88, 
337,  3395  Arapahoes,  170;  Ari- 
kara,  152,  154,  158,  161,  163,  359; 
Assiniboines,  49,  53,  71,  155,  163, 
168,  254,  262,  266,  287;  Atsena, 
170;  Bannock  Indians,  390;  Beaver, 
102,  107,  109;  Blackfeet,  160,  168, 
178,  202,  254,  289;  Blackfoot  In- 
dians, 369;  Black  Shoe  Indians, 
157;  Bloods,  291;  Bonak  Indians, 
390;  Brules,  148;  Caiguas,  337; 
Caws,  374;  Cayuse,  356;  Chero- 
kees,  353;  Cheyennes,  43,  143,  146, 
155,  205,  262,  285,  292;  Chicka- 
saws,  353;  Chinook,  188,  304, 369, 
390;  Chipewyans,  54,  88,  90,  103, 
130;  Chippewa,  224;  Choctaws, 
353;  Chopunnish,  179,  196;  Chris- 
tineaux,  42,  53;  Coeur  d'Alene  Ind- 
ians, 371;  Comanches,  240,  344; 
Creeks,  353;  Crees,  42,  71,  101, 
123,  155,  254,  262;  Dakota,  49; 
Digger  Indians,  389;  Dog  Rib,  88; 
Eskimo,  90-97;  Flatheads,  293, 
319,  327;  Fols  Avoin,  210;  Gens 
des  Terres,  40;  Grand  Pawnees, 
414;  Gros  Ventres  of  the  Prairie, 
170,  199,  293;  Hare,  88;  Hidatsa, 
155;  Kans,  232;  Kansas,  373; 
Kauzaus  Indians,  373;  Killa- 
mucks,  188;  Killistinaux,  42;  Kil- 
listinoes,  42;  Kiowas,  240,  344; 
Kinistineaux,  42;  Kite,  143,  147; 
Knisteneaux,  102;  Kutenais,  295; 
Loucheux,  97;  Mahaha,  157;  Me- 
nominees,  210,  221;  Mindawar- 
carton,  148;  Minneconjous,  148; 
Minnetari,  155,  156;  Minnetari 
of  Fort  de  Prairie,  170,  199;  Min- 
newakaton,  148;  Missourias,  141, 
144,  145;  Mohave  Indians,  444; 
Nascud  Denee,  127;  Navajos,  88; 
NezPerces  179,  180,  194,  313,  326; 
Ogallalas,  148,  150,  360;  Ojibwa, 


456 


Index 


215, 257;  Omaha,  144;  Osages,  141, 
207,  225,  227,  235;  Osinipoilles, 
49,  Otoes,  141,  144,  145;  Pahkees, 
178;  Pah-utes,  421;  Pawnawnees, 
68;  Pawnee,  68,  142-44,  158,  208, 
227-238;  Pawnee  Picts,  357;  Pei- 
gan,  178,  291;  Pierced-nose,  179, 
313;  Poncas,  148;  Puants,  209; 
Red  Knife,  88,  90;  Rees,  152,  153, 
205;  Ricaras,  156;  Rocky  Moun- 
tain, 107;  Root  Diggers,  421;  Sac, 
208;  Sacs  and  Foxes,  209,  225; 
Santees,  148;  Sarsi,  291,  292; 
Saulteurs,  262;  Sauteurs,  209, 
223;  Schian,  285;  Seminoles,  353; 
Sharha,  158;  Shoshoni,  155,  175, 
178,  180,  326;  Sioux,  49,  62,  63, 
et  passim;  Sissetons,  148,  221; 
Sistasoone,  148;  Slave,  89;  Snake 
Indians,  385,  424;  Sokulks,  181; 
Soulier,  285;  Soulier  Noir,  157, 
283;  Spokanes,  313;  Staitan,  143; 
Suhtai,  143;  Swampy  Crees,  43; 
Teton  Indians,  149,  204;  Tetons 
of  the  Burned  Woods  —  Minna- 
kenozzo,  Saone  148;  Tushepaw 
Indians,  179;  Utes,  450;  Walla 
Wallas,  194,  312,  320,  326,  366; 
Wahpatones,  148;  Wahpatoota, 
148;  Wattasoons,  157;  Winne- 
bagoes,  60,  209,  225;  Witapat, 
144;  Yanktonnaies,  148;  Yank- 
ton  Sioux,  146,  148,  152,  221; 
Yanktons  of  the  Plains,  148;  Yel- 
low Knives,  88;  Yutas,  337. 

Isle  a  la  crosse,  Lake,  54. 

Isle  de  Carre  Bceuf,  88. 

Isle  of  St.  Joseph,  76. 

Isles  du  Castor,  29. 


JACKSON'S  HOLE,  362. 

James  R.,  148. 

Japon,  78. 

Jedso,  78. 

Jefferson,  President,  139,  210. 

Jefferson  R.,  174,  176,  201. 

Jessaume,  154. 

John  Day  R.,  428. 

Jornada  del  Muerto,  347. 

Judith  R.,  170. 


KANS,  232. 

Kansas  R.,  148,  207,  231. 
Kaskaskia,  242,  331. 
Kauzaus  Indians,  373. 
Keewatin,  254. 
Killamucks,  188. 
Killistinaux,  42. 
Killistinoes,  42. 
"King  George  Men,"  55. 
Kinistineaux,  42. 
Kiowa  Calendar,  346. 
Kiowas,  240,  344. 
Kite  Indians,  143,  147. 
Kitkahahk  Village,  207. 
Klamath  Lake,  430,  434. 
Knife  R.,  157. 
Knisteneaux,  102. 
Kooyah  R.,  423. 
Kutenai  Park.  295. 
Kutenai  Plains,  295. 
Kutenais,  29"). 


LA  CHARETTE,  206. 

La  Chaudiere,  321. 

Lachine,  14,  15. 

La  Cloche,  16. 

La  Crosse,  213. 

Lake  (or  Lac):  a  la  Pluie,  42,  67; 
Arabuthcow,  54,  55;  Athabasca, 
54,  55;  Beaver,  44,  45,  53;  Cass, 
222;  Cedar,  43,  289;  Dauphin, 
44;  de  Bourbon,  43,  67,  289;  Des 
Chats,  15;  Great  Salt,  426,  449; 
Isle  a  la  Crosse,  54;  Klamath,  430, 
434;  La  Sang  Sue,  222;  Leech, 
222;  of  the  Crees,  42;  of  the  Hills, 
85,  102;  of  the  Woods,  42,  55,  67, 
255;  Ottowa,  66;  Pepin,  62; 
Pyramid,  436;  Rainy,  106,  324; 
Red,  260;  St.  Louis,  15;  Salt,  55; 
Slave,  87, 101, 329;  Sturgeon,  287; 
Summer,  434;  Temiscamingue, 
40;  Tlamath,  430;  Tule,  444; 
Upper  Red  Cedar,  222;  Utah,  449; 
Winnebago,  60;  Winipegon,  42, 
67;  Winnipeg,  255,  289. 

Laramie  R.,  404. 

L'Arbre  Croche,  12,  29. 


Index 


457 


La  Riviere  qui  Court,  148. 

La  Roche  Jaune,  165. 

Le  Borgne,  205. 

Le  Boulet  R.,  153. 

Lee,  John,  398. 

Lewis  and  Clark,  6,  8,  138,  et  seq. 

Lewis  R.,  180,  181,  194. 

Little  Bear  R.,  382. 

Little  Missouri,  153,  155. 

Little  Sandy  R.,  408. 

Little  Snake  R.,  382. 

Lodge  Pole  Creek,  404. 

Long-— Voyages  and  Travels,  259. 

Loucheux,  97. 

Louisiana  Purchase,  5,  59,  138,  145. 

Loup  Fork  R.,  148,  259. 


M 


MACKENZIE,  ALEXANDER,  84,  et.  seq. 
Mackenzie,  Donald,  303. 
Mackenzie  reaches  Pacific   Ocean, 

132. 

Macubah,  132. 
Madison  R.,  174,  202. 
Mahaha,  157. 
Maison  du  Chien,  282. 
Mandans,  153,  et  seq. 
Manitoba,  254. 
Maria's  R.,  199. 
Marquette,  Father,  17. 
Massacre  at  Michilimackinac,  23. 
Mattawa  R.,  15. 
Matthews,  155. 
Maxwell,  L.,  395. 
McDougal,  Duncan,  298. 
McLaughlin,  Dr.  J.,  367. 
Medicine  Bow  Mountains,  418. 
Medicine  Lodge  R.,  291. 
Meeting  the  Shoshoni,  175. 
Menominees,  210,  221. 
Messorie,  65,  68,  83. 
Michilimackinac,  16,  20,  22,  27,  38, 

39,  56. 

Michipicoten,  39-41,  277. 
Milk  R.,  169. 
Mindawarcarton,  148. 
Minnavavana,  17. 
Minneconjous,  148. 
Minnesota  R.,  64. 
Minnetari,  155,  156. 


Minnetari  of  Fort  de  Prairie,  170, 

199. 

Minnewakaton,  148. 
Missisaki  R.,  16. 
Missouri  R.,  17. 
Missourias,  141,  144,  145. 
Mohave  Indians,  444. 
Mt.  Hood,  429. 
Mt.  Rainier,  429. 
Mt.  St.  Helens,  429. 
Mouse  R.,  282. 
Musselshell  R.,  169. 
Mustangs,  350. 


N 


NANIBOJOU,  41. 

Nascud  Denee,  127. 

Natchitoches,  249. 

Naudowessie  (of  the  Plains),  62,  63, 

67. 

Navajos,  88. 
Nebraska,  397. 
Nelson  R.,  65. 
New  Park,  450. 

Nez  Perces,  313,  326,  179,  180,  194. 
Nicollet,  Joseph,  145. 
Niobrara,  R.,  148. 
Nootka,  304. 
North  Park  (Colo.),  380. 
Northwest  Fur  Company,  86,  154, 

222,  298,  302. 


OGALLALAS,  148,  150,  360. 

Ojibwa,  215,  257. 

Okinagan,  323,  327. 

Okinagan  R.,  323. 

Omaha  Indians,  144. 

Ontario  R.,  254. 

Ontonagan  R.,  37-38. 

Ordway,  Sergeant,  198. 

Oregon,  391. 

Oregon  R.,  65,  83,  394. 

Origin  story  (of  Mandans),  159. 

Osage  R.,  228. 

Osages,  141,  14/1,  207,  225,  227-235. 

Osinipoilles,  49,  50,  53. 

Otoes,  141,  144,  145. 

Ottawa  R.,  15. 

Ottigaumies,  61,  80. 


458 


Index 


Ottowaw  Lakes,  66. 

Ouisconsin    (or    Ouisconsing)    R., 

61,  209. 
Oxen,  wild,  49. 


PACIFIC  FUR  COMPANY,  299. 

Pahkees,  178. 

Pah-utes,  421. 

Panbian  Mts.,  262 

Panbian  R.,  272,  277. 

Pangman,  Peter,  290,  292. 

Pangman's  Tree,  290. 

Park  R.,  258. 

Parker,  Samuel,  356. 

Pasquayah  R.,  43. 

Pawnawnees,  68. 

Pawnees,  68, 142, 144, 158,  208,  227- 

235,  238. 

Pawnee  Picts,  357. 
Peace  Point,  102. 

Peace  R.,  55, 102-103, 107, 121, 136. 
Peigan,  178,  291. 
Pembina  Mts.,  262. 
Pembina  R.,  298. 
Pemmican,  100. 
Pepin,  Lake,  62. 
Petit  Corbeau,  216. 
Pierced-nose  Indians,  179,  313. 
Pike,  Zebulon  M.,  141,     207,     331, 

393- 

Pike's  Flag  Raising,  233. 
Pike's  Fort,  217. 
Pioneers,  character  of,  n. 
Platte  R.,  143, 148,  206. 
Pompey's  Pillar,  203. 
Poncas,  148. 
Pond,  Peter,  43-44. 
Pontiac,  35,  77. 
Porcupine  R.,  167. 
Portage  de  Lisle,  255. 
Portage  La  Prairie,  254,  256. 
Prairie  des  Chiens,  La,  62,  65,  210, 

224. 

Prairie  Hen  R.,  419. 
Preuss,  Charles,  395. 
Pryor,  Sergeant,  146,  198,  202,  203. 
Puants,  209. 
Puget  Sound,  58. 
Purgatory  R.,  237. 
Pyramid  Lake,  436. 


RAINY  LAKE,    106,  324. 

Red  Deer  R.,  291. 

Red  Knife  Indians,  88,  90. 

Red  Lake,  260. 

Red  Mountain,  65. 

Red  R.  (Canadian),  240,  241,  245. 

Red  Wing,  224. 

Rees,  152,  153,  205. 

Republican  R.,  207. 

Reynards,  209. 

Ricaras,  156. 

Riding  Mountain,  254. 

Rio  Grande,  245. 

Rio  Grande  del  Norte,  242,  330. 

Risen  Moose,  215. 

Rivers:  Arkansas,  237;  Assiniboine, 
199;  Bear,  389;  Big  Sioux,  68; 
Birch,  200;  Blueberry,  295;  Boi- 
sais,  389;  Buenaventura,  430,  436; 
Cache  a  la  Poudre,  418;  Canadian, 
343,  347;  Cannon  Ball,  153;  Ci- 
marron,  334;  Clear,  219;  Clear- 
water,  290;  Coeur  d'Alene,  318; 
Coppermine,  86,  116;  Cowelisk 
186;  Cypress,  287;  Dearborn,  174, 
199;  de  Bourbon,  43,  65;  Des 
Chutes,  428;  Dry  Fork,  169;  Elk, 
329;  Fontaine  qui  bouit,  416;  Fox. 
61;  Frazer,  98;  Gallatin,  174; 
Grand,  230,  423;  Grape,  240; 
Green,  408,  419;  Horse,  404; 
James,  148;  Jefferson,  174,  176, 
201;  John  Day,  428;  Judith,  170; 
Kansas,  148,  207,  231,  396;  Knife, 
157.  Laramie,  404;  La  Riviere 
qui  Court,  148;  La  Roche  Jaune, 
165;  Le  Boulet,  153;  Lewis,  180, 
194;  Little  Bear,  382;  Little  Mis- 
souri, 153,  155;  Little  Sandy,  408; 
Little  Snake,  382;  Lodge  Pole, 
404;  Loup,  148,  259;  Madison, 
174,  202;  Maria's,  199;  Mattawa, 
15;  Medicine  Lodge,  291;  Mes- 
sorie,  65,  68,  83;  Milk,  169;  Min- 
nesota, 64;  Missisaki,  16;  Mis- 
souri, 17,  et  passim',  Mouse,  282; 
Musselshell,  169;  Nelson,  65; 
Niobrara,  148;  of  the  West,  65, 
83;  of  Souls,  237;  Okinagan,  323; 
Ontonagan,  37,  38;  Oregon,  65, 


Index 


459 


83,  394;  Osage,  228;  Ottawa,  15; 
Ouisconsin  (or  Ouisconsing),  61, 
209;  Panbian,  272,  277;  Pasqua- 
yah,  43;  Peace,  55,  102,  121,  136; 
Pembina,  298;  Platte,  240;  Por- 
cupine, 167;  Prairie  Hen,  419; 
Purgatory,  237;  Red  (Canadian), 
240,  241,  245;  Republican,  207; 
Rio  del  Nord,  61;  Rio  Grande, 
245;  Rio  Grande  del  Norte,  242, 
330;  Riviere  aux  Chutes,  428; 
Rocky  Mountain,  328;  Running 
Water,  148;  Sacramento,  437, 
440;  St.  Croix,  62,  67;  St.  Fee,  61; 
St.  Frances,  63,  64;  St.  Maurice, 
40;  St.  Peter's,  224,  262;  St. 
Pierre,  64,  65;  Saskatchewan,  17, 
43,  289;  Salmon,  365,  422;  Schian 
262;  Sevier,  449;  Snake,  389,  428; 
Solomon,  231;  Spokane,  327; 
Sweetwater,  407,  419;  Uintah,  449; 
Walla  Walla,  194,  312, 321;  White, 
234,449;  Whitestone,  145;  Winni- 
pic,  255;  Wisconsin,  61;  Wisdom, 
201;  Yam  pah,  423;  Yellowstone, 
165,  198,  201;  York,  65;  Yukon, 
98. 

Road  of  War,  67. 

Robinson,  Dr.,  227,  235. 

Robinson,  "Uncle  Jack,"  384. 

Rock  Mountain  Indians,  107. 

Rocky  Mountain  Ho.,  290,  297,  328. 

Rocky  Mountain  R.,  328. 

Root  Diggers,  421. 

Running  Water  R.,  148. 


SAC,  208. 

Sackett's  Harbor,  252. 

Sacramento  R.,  437,  440. 

Sacs  and  Foxes,  209,  225. 

St.  Anne's,  15. 

St.  Augustine,  founded,  3. 

St.  Croix  R.,  62,  67. 

St.  Maurice  R.,  40. 

St.  Peter's,  216. 

St.  Peter's  R.,  224,  262. 

St.  Pierre  R.,  64,  65. 

St.  Vrain's  Fort,  402,  416. 

Salmon  R.,  365,  422. 

Salt  Lake,  55. 


San  Francisco  Bay,  440. 

San  Joaquin  R.,  444. 

Sans  Oreille,  228. 

Santa  Fe,  6,  7,  207,  242,  331. 

Santees,  148. 

Sarsi,  291,  292. 

Saskatchewan  (Province),  254. 

Saskatchewan  R.,  17,  43,  44,  289. 

Saukies,  (town  of),  61. 

Sault  de  Sainte-Marie,  20,  36,  39,  42, 

77- 

Saulteurs,  262. 
Sauteurs,  209,  223. 
Schian  R.,  262. 
Schians,  285. 
Scott's  Bluffs,  360. 
Seminoles,  353. 
Sepulcher  Rock,  193. 
Sevier  R.,  449. 
Sharha,  158. 

Shining  Mountains,  64,  69. 
Shoshoni,  155,  175,  178,  180,  326. 
Side  Hill  Calf,  200. 
Sierra  Nevada  Mts.,  436. 
Sign  Language,  284. 
Sioux,  49,  61,  62,  et  passim. 
Sissetons,  148,  221. 
Sistasoone,  148. 
Slave  Indians,  89. 
Slave  Lake,  87,  101,  329. 
Snake  Indians,  385,  424. 
Snake  R.,  389,  428. 
Soda  Springs,  421. 
Sokulks,  181. 
Solomon  R.,  231. 
Soulier,  285. 
Soulier  Noir,  157,  283. 
South  Pass,  408. 
South  Platte  R.,  240. 
Spokane,  319. 
Spokane  House,  320. 
Spokane  R.,  327. 
Spokanes,  313. 
Staitan,  143. 
Staked  Plains,  348. 
Standing  Rock,  152. 
Standing  Rock  Agency,  152. 
Stone  Idol  Creek,  152. 
Stony,  or  Rocky,  Mountains,  55. 
Straits  of  Annian,  58,  83. 
Sturgeon  Lake,  287. 
Suhtai,  143. 


460 


Index 


Summer  Lake,  434. 
Surgery,  104. 
Sutter,  Ca.pt.,  442. 
Swampy  Crees,  43. 
Sweetwater  R.,  407,  419. 


TANNER,  280. 
Taos,  7,  330,  395. 
Temiscamingue  Lake,  40. 
Terre  Blanche,  293. 
Teton  Indians,  149,  204. 
Tetons  of  the  Burned  Woods,  148. 

Minnakenozzo. 

Saone. 

"The  River  of  the  West,"  388. 
Thompson,  David,  222. 
Thousand  Lakes,  64. 
Three  Forks  of  the  Missouri,  174. 
Three  Parks,  450. 
Three  Tetons,  410. 
Tlamath  Lake,  430. 
Tongue  R.,  278. 
Tonquin,  fate  of,  304. 
Townsend,  Dr.  J.  K.,  368,  390. 
Trading  Post,  see  Fort. 
Tripe  de  roche,  41. 
Tule  Lake,  444. 
Tushepaw  Indians,  179. 
Twisted  Hair,  195. 


U 


UlNTAH  R.,  449. 
Umfreville,  5. 

Upper  Red  Cedar  Lake,  222. 
Utah  Lake,  449. 


VERA  CRUZ,  332. 
Verendrye,  17,  43,  59,  289. 

W 

WACON-TEEBE,  63. 
Wahpatones,  148. 


Wahpatoota,  148. 

Walla  Walla  R.,  194,  312,  321. 

Walla  Wallas,  194,  312,  320,  326, 

366. 

Wappatoo,  185,  191. 
Warrior  Societies,  147. 
Washington,  (State  of)  291. 
Wattasoons,  157. 
West  Road  R.,  126. 
White  Bear  Island,  199. 
White  Goose,  215. 
White  R.,  423,  449. 
Whitestone  R.,  145. 
Whitman,  Dr.  Marcus,  356,  361. 
Wilkinson,  Gen.  James,    207,    211, 

223,  226. 

Wilkinson,  Lt.,  227,  235. 
Willard,  Sergeant,  201. 
Wind  River  Mountains,  408. 
Winnebago,  Lake,  60. 
Winnebagoes,  60,  61,  209,  225. 
Winnipic  R.,  255. 
Wisconsin  R.,  61. 
Wisdom  R.,  201. 
Witapat,  144. 
Wolf  Calf,  200. 
Wolf  pits,  282. 
Wolves  attacking  horses,  324. 
Wolves,  rabid,  260. 
Wood  R.,  141. 


YAMPAH  R.,  423. 

Yankton  Sioux,  146,  148,  152,  221. 

Yanktonnaies,  148. 

Yanktons  of  the  Plains,  148. 

Yellow  Knives,  88. 

Yellowstone  Park,  204. 

Yellowstone    R.,     165,    198,     201, 

202. 

Yeso,  78. 
York  R.,  65. 
Yukon  R.,  98. 
Yutas,  337. 


I  Trails        ri  T 

of  the  Pathfinders 

By  GEORGE   BIRD  GRIN  NELL 
Illustrated.    $1.50  net.    Postpaid  $1.65 

CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION  ALEXANDER  HENRY  (THE  YOUNGER) 

ALEXANDER  HENRY          Ross  Cox 

JONATHAN  CARVER  THE  COMMERCE  OF  THE  PRAIRIES 

ALEXANDER  MACKENZIE  SAMUEL  PARKER 

LEWIS  AND  CLARK  THOMAS  J.  FARNHAM    ' 

ZEBULON  M.  PIKE  FREMONT 

One  of  the  most  stirring  and  inspiring  chapters  in 
the  history  of  our  country  is  made  up  of  the  pictur- 
esque, straightforward  narratives  of  their  adventures, 
told  by  the  heroic  men  of  action,  explorers,  hunters, 
and  trappers,  who  first  travelled  through  the  unknown 
regions  and  among  hostile  Indians.  Mr.  Grinnell 
gives  a  number  of  the  most  exciting  and  important  of 
these  stories,  told  almost  entirely  in  the  words  of  the 
explorer  himself,  and  they  form  a  work  of  unrivalled 
interest  to  old  and  young. 


READY  SHORTLY 


Zebulon   M.  Pike 

Edited  by  MARY  GAY  HUMPHREYS 
Illustrated.    About  $  1 .50  net.    Postage  extra 

The  thrilling   account  of  Pike's  explorations  told 
chiefly  in  his  own  words. 

CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS,    NEW  YORK 


The  Boy's  Catlin 

My  Life  Among   the  Indians 

Edited  with  Biographical  Introduction  by 

MARY  GAY  HUMPHREYS 
Illustrated  from  Catlin's  Drawings.    $1.50  net 

"As  interesting  a  story  of  Indians  as  was  ever  writ- 
ten and  has  the  merit  of  being  true.'; — New  York  Sun. 

"  It  would  be  hard  to  find  a  book  of  more  whole- 
some fascination  for  boys." — San  Francisco  Argonaut. 

The   Boy's    Drake 

By  EDWIN  M.  BACON 
Illustrated.    $1.50  net.    Postpaid  $1.65 

"Much  of  the  story  is  told  in  the  words  of  old 
records,  and  interesting  old  maps  and  pictures  make  it 
still  more  valuable." — The  Bookman. 

"  He  has  entered  into  the  stirring  time  of  England's 
conquest  of  the  seas  and  has  written  a  fine  biography 
of  her  great  pirate  captain,  a  book  worthy  of  its  subject 
and  a  worthy  book  for  a  boy." — Chicago  Tribune. 

The   Boy's  Hakluyt 

Retold   from  Hakluyt 

By  EDWIN   M.    BACON 
Illustrated.    $1.50  net 

"  There  is  more  adventure  in  this  volume  than  will 
be  found  in  a  whole  library  of  fiction." — New  York  Sun. 

CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS,   NEW   YORK 


BY  NOAH  BROOKS 

First  Across  the 
&  Continent  M 

A  CONCISE  STORY  OF  THE  LEWIS  AND  CLARK 

EXPEDITION 
Illustrated.    $1.50  net 

"  More  readable  than  a  romance,  full  of  hair-breadth 
escapes  and  imminent  perils  from  savage  man  and  beast, 
by  storm  and  flood,  by  sickness  and  cold  and  starvation." 

— Chicago  Post. 

"  For  any  one  who  has  an  interest  in  adventure  and 
in  the  hardihood  of  the  pioneer  this  is  a  great  story. " 

— Boston  Herald. 

The  Boy  Emigrants 

Illustrated.     $1.25 

"  It  is  one  of  the  best  boys'  stories  we  have  ever 
read."—  The  Christian  Work. 

11  The  name  alone  of  this  volume's  author  should  be 
a  sufficient  voucher'  for  its  qualities  .  .  .  the  book  is 
picturesque  and  stirring." — Providence  Journal. 

The    Boy    Settlers 

A  STORY  OF  EARLY  TIMES  IN  KANSAS 
Illustrated.    $  1 .25 

"Three  boys  and  two  men  go  out  into  Kansas,  at 
the  time  when  that  region  was  the  Far  West.  The 
boys  have  great  sport  killing  buffaloes  and  some  trouble 
about  Indian  uprisings." — The  Independent. 

CHARLES   SCRIBNER'S  SONS,  NEW  YORK 


The  Adventures  of 
James  Capen  Adams 

Mountaineer  and  Grizzly  Bear 
Hunter  of  California 

By  THEODORE  H.  HITTELL 
Illustrated.    $1.50  net.    Postpaid,  $1.65 

The  story  of  the  life  and  thrilling  adventures  of  one 
of  the  most  famous  of  American  hunters  and  one  of 
the  first  great  tamers  of  wild  animals. 

The  narrative  is  given  just  as  it  first  appeared  in  the 
simple,  direct  language  in  which  "  Grizzly  "  Adams  told 
it  to  Mr.  Hittell— a  style  that  bears  all  the  marks  of 
absolute  truth. 

The  Grizzly  Bear 

By  WILLIAM  H.  WRIGHT 
Illustrated  from  Photographs  by  the  Author  and 
J.  B.  Kerfoot.    $1.50  net 

"  Full  of  the  atmosphere  of  the  big  game  woods  and 
vibrant  with  hazards  of  the  chase." — Boston  Globe. 

11  The  very  spirit  of  the  grizzly  is  in  subtle  fashion 
brought  near  us.  The  book  will  long  hold  a  high  place 
in  the  literature  of  sport." — New  York  Tribune. 

The  Black  Bear 

By  WILLIAM  H.  WRIGHT 

Illustrated  from  Photographs  by  the  Author  and 

J.  B.  Kerfoot.    $1.00  net.    Postpaid  $1.10 

"  Finely  illustrated,  informing,  and  entertaining." 

— Philadelphia  Inquirer. 


CHARLES   SCRIBNER'S   SONS,   NEW  YORK 


